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Spearman Named Studer Education 2026 Difference Maker

• Awards
• 06/12/2026

Rock Valley College President Dr. Howard Spearman has been named Studer Education’s 2026 Difference Maker, a national recognition honoring educational leaders who foster strong workplace cultures, build trust across their organizations, and drive measurable student success.

The Difference Maker Award recognizes executive leaders and school districts that demonstrate excellence in employee engagement, continuous improvement, transparent communication, and student-centered decision-making. The award celebrates leaders who understand that student achievement is strengthened when employees feel valued, supported, and empowered.

For Spearman, the recognition reflects the collective efforts of the entire Rock Valley College community. “The entire team at RVC has worked tirelessly to make the College a better place to learn and grow,” said Spearman. “It takes every faculty and staff member collaborating to improve the culture at the college and to help RVC meet its strategic goals. I share this award with the entire Golden Eagles Family.”

Since becoming Rock Valley College’s eighth president in 2020, Spearman has led the institution through a period of significant growth and transformation. Over the past five years, the college has partnered with Studer Education to strengthen its culture, develop leaders at every level, and align institutional efforts around student success. As a result, RVC has achieved year-over-year improvements on its Employee Engagement and Experience Survey across every measured category. The college has also expanded leadership development opportunities for employees through both internal training programs and external executive-level professional development.

Under Spearman’s leadership, the college has consistently met or exceeded goals across the pillars of its strategic plan while securing unprecedented investments in facilities, workforce training, and institutional advancement initiatives. Recent projects include the opening of the Advanced Technology Center in Belvidere and the upcoming Downtown West Campus, both designed to expand access to education and workforce opportunities throughout the region. The college’s achievements have also earned national recognition. In 2025, Rock Valley College was named to the Aspen Institute’s prestigious Top 200 U.S. Community Colleges list. The college also received the 2025 American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Award of Excellence for Outstanding College/Corporate Partnership alongside AAR Corp. and the 2024 Illinois Community College Trustee Association (ICCTA) Business/Industry Partnership Award with Bourn & Koch. Earlier this year, Spearman was named one of five national finalists for the American Association of Community Colleges’ CEO of the Year Award.

According to Studer Education, Difference Maker recipients exemplify a commitment to creating cultures of engagement, strengthening communication and trust, using data to guide decision-making, and embracing continuous improvement. Those qualities have become hallmarks of Spearman’s leadership philosophy.

"Dr. Spearman exhibits a relentless drive to ‘get better at getting better’ in his dedication to personal and professional values, leading with humility, passion, and a deep commitment to serving his team. This commitment has advanced innovate teaching strategies, improved organizational processes, and actively grown new leaders. It’s a great honor for us this year to celebrate Dr. Spearman and his active transformation of RVC, its leadership team, and the RVC culture to better serve students, employees, and the broader community.” Dr. Janet Pilcher, Founder and President, Studer Education.

While the award recognizes an individual leader, Spearman has consistently emphasized that the College’s success is rooted in the strength of its employees, students, and community partnerships. That philosophy is reflected in one of his favorite refrains: "We are strong because our community is strong."

The 2026 Difference Maker Award places Spearman among a select group of educational leaders nationwide who are helping shape stronger institutions and creating lasting opportunities for students, employees, and the communities they serve.