First Female President in College’s History
At a public announcement July 15, Shelley Barkley was introduced as the next president of Spoon River College (SRC). She replaces former longtime SRC President Curt Oldfield, who left to assume the presidency at Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield.
“Selecting a president is the most important responsibility of the Board of Trustees, and we approached this search with great care and thoughtfulness,” said Kevin Meade, chair of the Spoon River College Board of Trustees. “Dr. Barkley distinguished herself throughout the search process through her exceptional commitment to student success, her innovative leadership, and her deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing rural community colleges. Her experience leading academic and student affairs, advancing workforce partnerships, and improving student outcomes aligns closely with Spoon River College’s mission and vision for the future. We are excited to welcome her to Spoon River College.
Barkley was chosen out of 42 potential candidates. Barkley comes to Spoon from John Wood Community College (JWCC)where she has served as the vice president of academic and student affairs since December 2023. In that role, she provided executive leadership for academic affairs, student services, enrollment management, workforce development and student support initiatives across six campus locations.
“I’m so grateful to be here, and I’m really excited about this day. We have such a bright future ahead, and I’m so proud to be here before you to represent Spoon River College,” Barkley said. “I’m really grateful to the Board for entrusting me with the privilege and responsibility of leading Spoon River College into the future, and I’m humbled by the confidence you’re placing in me in this position. Today I’m filled with gratitude, excitement and optimism for what lies ahead.
“For me, community colleges have always represented incredibly powerful avenues of change, and that’s the one thing I’m most excited about,” she shared. “Every position I’ve held in community colleges I’ve had so much gratitude for the impact and the roles we play in changing students’ lives.”
Recognized nationally for her leadership and commitment to student success, Barkley was selected for the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program’s prestigious Rising Presidents Fellowship, one of the nation’s premier leadership development programs for community college presidents. She served as Project Lead for the National Center for Inquiry and Improvement’s Rural Guided Pathways initiative.
Throughout her career, she has championed Guided Pathways reform, Caring Campus implementation, enrollment and retention strategies, dual-credit expansion, transfer pathway development, and innovative student support practices designed to eliminate barriers and improve student achievement. She helped establish Illinois’ first community college-based Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME) chapter, creating innovative pathways that prepare students for high-demand careers and support regional economic growth.
In a meeting with area business and organization leaders later Wednesday, Barkley stressed that she sees Spoon River College, regardless of the campus or the center or location, as one college.
“Being present and visible in all of the local communities that Spoon River College serves is a priority of mine,” she noted. “I really am an advocate for being visible and present. It positions the college as a visible entity to support the needs of our local businesses, and I think that’s the role of the president and the role of what we do as community colleges—prepare students for the workforce. So I intend to be visible, and I intend to follow Curt’s footsteps.”
Before joining JWCC, she served as dean of general education, transfer programs, academic support services, distance education, and dual credit for Sauk Valley Community College in Dixon, and as assistant dean of academics for Sauk Valley and as an assistant professor of psychology. In addition to her roles at Sauk Valley, Barkley was an adjunct psychology instructor for Kishwaukee College in Malta. She holds a Doctor of Education in Community College Leadership from Ferris State University and a Master of Science in Family and Child Studies from Northern Illinois University.
