Cheryl L. Hyman
Chancellor, City Colleges of Chicago
Profile
Chancellor Cheryl Hyman’s number one priority is student success. Her vision for the City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) is to build a world-class institution that prepares students to compete and win the jobs of today and tomorrow. She is leading the Reinvention of Illinois’ largest community college system in partnership with faculty, staff, students, and civic and business communities to ensure that all CCC students successfully graduate career-ready.
As Chancellor of the City Colleges, Cheryl Hyman is responsible for managing a budget of more than $650 million, overseeing nearly 5,800 employees, and ensuring the success of 120,000 students annually.
Professional History
Prior to being appointed Chancellor, Hyman served as Vice President of Operations Strategy and Business Intelligence at ComEd, an Exelon company. She joined ComEd in 1996 and held positions across the company during her 14-year career, including Information Technology, Transmission and Distribution, and Government & Legislative Affairs.
Hyman was active in Exelon’s African-American Members Association (EAAMA) and was instrumental in ComEd’s corporate sponsorship of the Black Star Project, which brings EAAMA members to local schools to promote and reinforce the importance of education. She also serves as the Chairman for the Black Star Project Advisory Board.
Board Appointments and Speaking Engagements
Hyman has been appointed to serve as a member of the Board of Directors of the national advocacy organization Complete College America (CCA). With this appointment, Hyman joins a seven member board of the Washington DC-based non-profit organization leading America’s effort to improve college graduation rates.
Hyman is often called to discuss the community college reform movement and has served as a panelist at The Hamilton Project and the Center for the American Progress’s “The Future of American Jobs Part II” discussion at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. (2010), NBC News’s Education Nation Summit in New York City (2011), the National Journal’s Educating for Success: The Nexus Between College Completion and American Competitiveness in Washington D.C. (2011) and at the Aspen Institute 2011 Ideas Festival.
Civic Involvement
Hyman is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, which addresses a number of social and economic issues in the Chicago region. In addition, Hyman has been sworn in under the State of Illinois as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for abused and neglected children who are wards of the Juvenile Court. Hyman is a former Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the Night Ministry, which connects with Chicago's vulnerable youth and adults, providing basic supplies, self-care supplies, free healthcare, housing and supportive services for youth, and referrals to other resources.
Education
Chancellor Hyman was once a City Colleges student herself: she is a graduate of Olive-Harvey College. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the Illinois Institute of Technology, a Master of Arts Degree in Community Development from North Park University, and an Executive Master of Business Administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Chancellor Hyman is a Chicago native who grew up on the city’s West Side.