Mike Elbe Named as New JWCC President

Mike Elbe will be John Wood Community College’s sixth president.The announcement comes after a unanimous vote by the JWCC Board of Trustees Wednesday evening. Elbe assumes his new post April 1st. He succeeds Dr. John Letts who is retiring March 31st after over 25 years at John Wood including two years as president.

Elbe has served as JWCC’s vice president for student services since 2012.  In that role he led  the areas of admissions, records, career and advising, educational support grant programs, financial aid, veterans’ affairs, student life and athletics.

Over the course of his 26 years of professional experience, Elbe has served at four, four-year colleges in addition to his 13 years of service as director of student life and athletics at JWCC.  He served as director of student life from 1999 to 2002 and as assistant dean of students from 1998 to1999 for the University of Dubuque. From 1988 to 1990, Elbe was an academic advisor for the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, from 1987 to 1988 he served as a resident director for St. Andrew’s Presbyterian College and also served as  a graduate assistant for the University of Southern Alabama.  Elbe served as a faculty member at each of the four-year colleges where his was employed.

In addition to his administrative roles at JWCC, Elbe coached John Wood Trail Blazer men’s basketball for 13 seasons, compiling a 246-165 record. He received regional, district and conference Coach of the Year honors and led two teams that finished fifth and seventh in the nation.