The Lake Land College Board of Trustees announced Wednesday that Jonathan “Josh” Bullock will be the seventh president of the college, effective July 1, 2013.

“Dr. Bullock brings to Lake Land College a unique blend of experience in both the business and academic areas which make him an ideal candidate to lead the college into the future,” Lake Land College Board Chairman Carl Hart said.

During a special meeting Wednesday, March 6, the board of trustees voted unanimously to appoint Bullock to a three-year contract. Bullock is the vice president for strategic advancement at Moraine Park Technical College in Fond du Lac, Wis. He has an extensive background in strategic planning, new program development, marketing, grant funding and entrepreneurship.

“I look forward to continuing the nearly 50 years of excellence Lake Land College has in serving and educating students, the community and workforce. I look forward to strengthening these initiatives and collaborating with the community to lead the college into the future,” Bullock said.

Hart said the board was impressed with Bullock’s extensive experience in finance and fund raising.

“He understands the needs of this area and the importance in working with faculty, staff and students, along with local and state officials,” Hart added.

In his current position, Bullock partnered with regional community, industry, education and legislative leaders to assess future workforce needs in the Fond du Lac area and collaborated to form partnerships that addressed labor shortages.

Bullock said he plans to reach out and engage communities in the Lake Land College district to create a future direction for the college.

“This is their community college — we want to know what they would like their community college to be,” Bullock said.

During his campus visit on Feb. 25, Bullock said he met with many in the Lake Land College community and found everyone to be focused on the same goal — helping students succeed.

“What a great, dedicated team at Lake Land College,” Bullock said. “From the board, to the faculty and staff, everyone is committed to delivering outstanding quality service and educational opportunities to students and I look forward to working together toward one goal, which is helping students succeed.”

In addition to helping students succeed, Bullock said giving back to the community is very important to him. He serves on the boards of the Boys and Girls Club and the City of Fond du Lac Police and Fire Commission. He is a Rotarian and has been involved in the Chamber of Commerce and United Way.

He has received several awards for his personal and professional achievements. The Fond du Lac Area Association of Commerce recognized Bullock as the 2008 Volunteer of the Year. In both 2006 and 2010, the Moraine Park Association recognized Bullock for his leadership in linking career education within the district. He also received the 1997 Joint Venture in Education National Outstanding Facilitator of the Year Award for excellence in teaching from the New Ventures of Regis University.

Bullock has a doctoral degree from Marian University in Fund du Lac, a master’s in business administration from the University of Wisconsin in Oshkosh and a bachelor’s of business administration from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Prior to his current position, he was the institutional research, quality improvement and institutional advancement partner at the same institution from 2002 to 2008. Since 1993 he has been an adjunct professor at Marian University.

Prior to entering higher education, Bullock was a research consultant for Thrivent Financial for Lutherans; owner, vice president and research director for Bull’s Eye Research, Inc.; and a product developer for Giddings and Lewis, Inc., a leading manufacturer of industrial automation products and machine tools. His entrepreneurial experience includes the creation of B4, Inc., a marketing agency and the founding of Industrial Controls Engineering, Inc., an industrial automation systems integration business.

“We look forward to Dr. Bullock’s arrival at Lake Land to build upon the success of the past and lead the college community into a promising future,” Hart said.

“I will continue the initiatives created under President Lensink’s leadership and past presidents,” Bullock said. “I am thrilled with the innovation and entrepreneurial spirit at Lake Land. We will continue to engage people in thinking in new, innovative ways and I want to continue to foster those opportunities while being good stewards of the college’s funds.”

One of the innovations that interested Bullock in the position was the college’s sustainability program. “I am impressed with the sustainability initiative and want to see that continue to grow, as well as build on the academic programs in this area.”

Bullock will replace current president Scott Lensink, who has served as president of the college since 2007 and will retire with more than 30 years in higher education.

Bullock and his wife, Jen, will be moving with their children to Mattoon this summer. “We talked with them this morning and they are equally excited to be moving to the area,” he said.

“The community is beautiful. The people are wonderful, extremely nice and helpful. The college facilities are excellent. It’s exactly what we would expect from a Midwestern community and we are very excited,” he added.