Note : A quote in the second to last paragraph was incorrectly attributed to Kubatzke. The quote is from LMC Board Member Debra Johnson.

Since September, Lake Michigan College has been searching for a leader to assume the role of president at the Benton Harbor based community college.
After reviewing the 92 applicants that applied for the job, board members announced last week that the search was officially over. Starting in April, Trevor Kubatzke will lead the college as their newest president.
Kubatzke will take the place of Robert Harrison, who will retire after serving LMC as president for 18 years.
“I am excited to come over and be part of the community and start meeting other people,” Kubatzke said in a phone interview from his home in Milwaukee.
Kubatzke’s passion for education first began when he was a student earning his bachelor’s degree in agriculture economics from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.
Growing up on a small family farm, Kubatzke said the degree seemed like a natural progression to his education, but then he said he realized his passion for higher education.

Kubatzke continued his education, eventually earning a doctor of philosophy in education administration in community college leadership from Walden University and a master of science in Education Administration from Missouri State.
In 1995, Kubatzke started his career in education at Upper Iowa University in Fayette, Iowa. Kubatzke went on to Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, Illinois, where he would serve as associate vice president of enrollment services; interim chief information officer; assistant vice president admissions and registrar; and executive director of the Eastern Region Education Center.
It was through his work at Delta College in University Center, Michigan, where he served as vice president for Student and Educational Services in Saginaw, when Kubatzke said he and his wife fell in love with the southwest Michigan area.
Through his research, Kubatzke said he was impressed by LMC’s legacy and felt it would be the right fit for his career experience.
When he begins his role as president in April, Kubatzke said his goal will be to look for more ways to help LMC continue to serve the community.
One way Kubatzke said he hopes to tackle this is by helping to appropriate funds to needed projects.
In November, a .48 capital millage funds passed by a margin. The millage is anticipated to garner $40 million over 10 years. The millage will target four areas, including safety and security, modernizing classrooms, student support services and money-saving critical improvements.
Helping students to find their path, just as college did for him, is one of the driving forces behind his passion in higher education, Kubatzke said.
“The community college environment is designed to meet the needs [of] whoever comes to us,” Kubatzke said. “[LMC] is a great close environment.”
To help students reach their goals, Kubatzke said he hopes to continue make LMC staff accessible and help students get the resources they need to succeed.
Kubatzke also brings skillsets gained while working part-time as a police officer in Iowa. Through the experience, Kubatzke said the job was “less about writing tickets” and more about and more about connecting with and understanding the community.
As LMC president, he said connecting with Berrien County will be key.
“We need to be in the community and the community needs to realize that we are a vital part,” Kubatzke said.
He cited LMC’s wine program as one example of how the college is seeking to provide training for a profession that is tied to the community.
“Berrien County is becoming a wine capital and needs employees and workers,” Kubatzke said. “Developing a program like that shows how [LMC] is responsive and reactive to the community.”
Through his experience as executive leader for the Milwaukee Promise, Kubatzke said he has been able to see first hand the difference that college can make in a student’s life.
The program provides free two-year tuition to students in the area’s high school, who meet requirements, similar to the Buchanan Promise, which offers in-district students scholarships to any school they choose.
Vice President of the LMC School Board Debra Johnson said while it was tough narrowing down a pool of many great candidates for the role, she is excited to welcome Kubatzke to the team.
Kubatzke’s core values matched what the college was searching for in a candidate, she said.
“This job is just right for him,” Johnson said. “He is a community person. That is real import being a community person. We will see him out and about and building relationships. I am excited. This is a great opportunity for us.”
Johnson said she hopes to see the newest president building those relationships, while also helping to modernize the campus buildings so students have the most tools in the classroom.
As Kubatzke becomes a new resident to Berrien County, he said he hopes to continue to explore the area. When he is not working, he said he will take his boat for a spin on Lake Michigan.
“No matter where you go in the state there is something special,” Kubatzke said. “The whole state is just a fantastic place to have that relaxation time so we are looking forward to that.”