Garrett College welcomes Kenney T. Hegland as president

Dr. Kenney T. Hegland began serving as president of Garrett College on July 1, 2026, bringing a new top administrator to the McHenry-based community college.

Hegland succeeds the college’s prior leadership after an executive transition. The change places him at the center of an institution that serves as a major education and workforce resource for Garrett County residents.

Priorities for the presidency

Garrett College has framed Hegland’s presidency around student success, workforce alignment and the economic needs of Western Maryland. The college also identified partnerships as an important part of that work.

Those partnerships include employers, school systems, health-care providers, nonprofit organizations and local governments. Together, those groups represent many of the institutions connected to education, career preparation and community services in Garrett County.

For students and families, the emphasis on student success places educational progress and career preparation among the administration’s stated priorities. For employers and health-care providers, the focus on workforce alignment connects the college’s work to regional labor needs. School systems, nonprofits and local governments are also part of the partnership network the college described.

A McHenry institution with a countywide role

Garrett College is a public community college located in McHenry, Maryland. Its presidential transition is therefore relevant beyond the campus itself, particularly to residents who rely on local higher education and to organizations that work with the college on education or workforce issues.

The new administration’s stated regional focus also reaches across Western Maryland. By highlighting cooperation with employers, schools, health-care organizations, nonprofits and public agencies, the college has described the presidency as part of a broader effort to connect student outcomes with community and economic needs.

July 1 marks the start of Hegland’s tenure. It does not, by itself, represent a documented change to academic programs, tuition, staffing or enrollment. The confirmed development is the change in presidential leadership and the priorities Garrett College has attached to the new administration.

Hegland now leads the college as it continues its work with students and regional partners. The transition gives Garrett College a new president while preserving the institution’s stated emphasis on student success, workforce alignment and cooperation across Garrett County and Western Maryland.