Ski's Bio

John J. "Ski" Sygielski, MBA, Ed.D., is HACC’s seventh president, a position he’s held since 2011. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Ski was the first member of his working-class family to graduate from college, earning his bachelor's degree in philosophy before going on to earn two master's degrees in business and a doctorate in education, as well as an honorary associate degree.

He began his professional career as a teacher in a Chicago school followed by a stint as a corporate trainer for two Fortune 500 companies. He returned to education taking a community college administrative position at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. Ski was appointed president of then-Lord Fairfax Community College (now named Laurel Ridge Community College) in Middletown, Virginia, and later president of Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, Oregon, before accepting the position as president of HACC.

Ski is a member of the board of directors of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and the chair of the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges. He serves on the board of the Harrisburg Chamber of Commerce, Pennsylvania’s Workforce Investment Board, and Harrisburg’s Recycle Bicycle, Inc. He participated in the first-ever White House Summit on Community Colleges, and the AACC’s 21st Century Commission on the Future of Community Colleges.

Ski lives in Harrisburg with his husband, Steve Perrault and Bart, their Basenji dog. Ski is an active member of the Harrisburg business community and an avid bicyclist.

You can connect with Ski on Facebook, X or LinkedIn; send an email to stay up to date on HACC happenings and issues that impact HACC and our students; or subscribe to his Ski Gram e-newsletter.