SLCC Appoints New President
After an extensive nationwide search, the Utah Board of Higher Education and Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) Board of Trustees have selected Gregory F. Peterson, Ed.D. as the 9th president of Salt Lake Community College. Dr. Peterson will replace Dr. Deneece G. Huftalin who announced her retirement as SLCC president fall late last year. Dr. Huftalin had served ten years as president of SLCC.
“I’m humbled by the opportunity to serve as Salt Lake Community College’s next president, and I look forward to reinforcing SLCC’s commitment to providing educational pathways for transfer and workforce that improve the lives of every member of our community,” said Dr. Peterson. “SLCC has an amazing future ahead, and I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of that journey.”
As part of its delegated duties and responsibilities, the SLCC Board of Trustees named an 11-member committee in December 2023 to conduct a national search for the next president of SLCC. The committee is composed of representatives from the Utah Board of Higher Education and SLCC trustees, faculty, staff, students, administration, and alumni as well as a community representative. That committee, co-chaired by Brady Southwick, chair of SLCC’s Board of Trustees, and Sharon Eubank, Utah Board of Higher Education member, spent several months soliciting input through public meetings and in-person interviews and conducted research to select finalists qualified to fill the president’s role according to statutory criteria. The search committee forwarded three finalists to the Utah Board of Higher Education and a public comment period ensued. The Board then heard input on the finalists and interviewed them. Peterson was one of three finalists announced on April 17, 2024, as covered by TechBuzz.
Applicants were evaluated for many qualities, including their academic credentials, leadership experience, community engagement and vision for the institution they hope to lead. Both internal and external candidates were considered. This search, as well as others in the past, was conducted on a confidential basis until finalists were selected.
SLCC's new president, Gregory F. Peterson, Ed.D., has over 15 years of executive leadership experience in community colleges and has served as president at Chandler-Gilbert Community College since 2018. He has led key efforts in student learning and success, such as leading large-scale system strategies, implementing innovative transfer and workforce programs, launching the first community college Artificial Intelligence program in the nation and even presenting multiple times at the White House. Dr. Peterson holds a doctorate in educational administration from the University of Texas at Austin; a master’s in postsecondary education from Portland State University; and a bachelor’s in English from Brigham Young University. Passionate about community college access and success, he's engaged in many local and national organizations, including serving on the Governing 
Board of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU). As a first-generation community college student, Dr. Greg Peterson has a passion and commitment to the community college mission of access and success for all students.
“We have been deeply invested in this process, thoughtfully evaluating each qualified candidate, to determine if they have the leadership style and acumen to lead Utah’s largest two-year, open-access school, and Utah’s most diverse higher education institution,” said Brady Southwick, co-chair of the Presidential Search Committee and chair of SLCC’s Board of Trustees. “This new president will be stepping into a college that is on a strong and healthy trajectory with exciting milestones on the horizon. We are thrilled to welcome the new president into all that is possible here at Salt Lake Community College.”