Former Kenai Peninsula College director appointed as university chancellor

Published 12:00 am Friday, March 6, 2026

Former Kenai Peninsula College director Cheryl Siemers, who has been serving as the interim University of Alaska Anchorage chancellor since May 2025, has been appointed to serve in that position permanently, UAA President Pat Pitney announced in a press release Wednesday.

Siemers was originally appointed as interim chancellor following former UAA Chancellor Sean Parnell’s retirement last year.

According to the release, Siemers brings decades of post-secondary education experience and a deep understanding of UAA’s workforce programs and professional occupational certificates to the role, making her “the right person to lead UAA as a dual-mission university.”

“Cheryl has been a steady hand at the wheel for UAA; her commitment to the institution, community partnership, leading enrollment growth, and enthusiastic support for UAA’s dual mission vocational and workforce training make her the ideal person to continue leading UA’s largest institution,” Pitney said in the release. “She’s been embraced by the UAA community, and it’s clear that her continued leadership will provide critical institutional stability and forward momentum.”

Siemers’ appointment follows an “extensive” search process that ended in October, following the Chancellor Search Committee’s official formation last April. According to the release, while all of the finalists identified in the search process were qualified, the “overwhelming” consensus from community and stakeholder feedback was that extending Siemers’ appointment would “provide needed certainty and consistency” at the leadership level.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to continue to serve our students, faculty, staff and university community,” Siemers said in the release. “Stepping into the permanent role now offers the opportunity to extend continuity with a long-term strategic focus to ensure that the progress we’ve made together accelerates forward. I am deeply grateful for President Pitney and the Board’s confidence in me and for providing the opportunity to serve our students, community, and state.”

The Clarion previously reported that Brian Partridge, director of KPC’s Kachemak Bay Campus, was also selected to serve as acting KPC director in Siemers’ absence. Partridge confirmed Wednesday that he has agreed to fill the role of KPC interim director, while still fulfilling his role as KBC director, through June.

“I was very happy to see President Pat Pitney’s announcement today,” he wrote via email. “KPC congratulates Cheryl on her appointment to the position of Chancellor of UAA.”

KPC is currently conducting a search for their next director. That search, Partridge said, is scheduled to be completed some time in May.