New president looks to build on successes at Elgin Community College

Peggy Heinrich knows she inherited a pretty good situation as she takes over as president of Elgin Community College.

Heinrich, who has served at ECC in various roles for 18 years, was approved unanimously by the college’s board on Dec. 19 to succeed the retired David Sam.

“I’m taking over for a president who left a legacy of student success, who helped the college achieve a number of accolades and recognitions that are all based on how well our students perform and the fact that we deliver on our mission,” she said. “We’re going to continue that journey, but we’re also going to build upon that.”

Heinrich said one of the priorities will be focusing on post-completion outcomes for ECC students after they graduate, whether they move on to a four-year university or enter the job market.

For students continuing their education, Heinrich said they want to grow more opportunities like the pledge program with Northern Illinois University, which allows students to earn an NIU bachelor’s degree at ECC without having to travel to DeKalb.

“Programs like that have a very high success rate, higher than is normal for completion,” she said. “Over time (we envision) building out a transfer center that’s larger, more robust and has a family focus so that students really envision getting their four-year degree with ECC as a starting point.”

She said part of that effort will include tightening their partnerships with area school districts.

“It’s about advising at the high school level so that they are not choosing Elgin Community College after the fact, but as part of an intentional pathway to transfer,” she said. “(We) need to make sure that school counselors really understand the value proposition of the community college — that they’re sold on it — because they’re the direct voice to the high school student.”

Heinrich believes part of her role is to change the perception that community college is merely a fallback option.

“I think the part we want to be sure is demystified for the families in our district is that they understand the quality and opportunities and the resources that are here at ECC, that in some cases exceed what you’ll see in a four-year institution in terms of some of our labs, some of our programs,” she said.

For students finishing technical programs, Heinrich said they will develop a system that tracks student success after they graduate and enter the workforce.

“We want to focus some efforts on ensuring students are getting a job in the field that they chose to study at ECC, and are they earning a wage that can sustain a family when they get that job,” she said.

Heinrich says maintaining affordability will be a priority, especially as state resources continue to decline.

CollegeIllinois.com ranks ECC as the second-least expensive Illinois community college in a list of 45 schools for 2024-25.

To that end, she cited cultivating community and corporate partnerships, which will be needed for a roughly $80 million new Manufacturing and Technology Center, which officials hope will open in the fall of 2026.

“This is our biggest initiative in a long time and will be for years to come,” she said. “It will add new programming options and really tightly partner with our district’s manufacturers so that we’re offering programs they need and that they’re going to need five years from now.”

Heinrich said she’ll be as involved as she can be when it comes to local economic development councils to make sure they have “a voice at the table.”

“There's a lot of partnership efforts that might be had in a facility like this as we move forward,” she said.

Heinrich, who grew up in Palatine and has spent most of her life in the suburbs, is the ninth president and the first woman to lead the college in its 75-year history. She said the milestone is a reflection of ECC’s commitment to fostering equity, inclusion and opportunity.

“Together, we will continue to break barriers, uplift our diverse community, and ensure every student has the support they need to succeed,” she said. “And I think my grandmother would have been proud.”