The McHenry County College board on Thursday night approved a two-year contract extension for President Clinton Gabbard.

In January, Gabbard became the college’s eighth president. The contract extension keeps him at the helm until Dec. 31, 2019.

“Dr. Gabbard has had an immediate impact on the culture and the effectiveness of the institution, recognizing our focus is learning and student success is our goal,” board Chairman Mike Smith said in a statement. “We are confident that he will continue to build upon our vision to be the community’s first choice for a lifetime of learning, and we are looking forward to the relationship between the college, the community and Dr. Gabbard continuing to grow for years to come.”

He’s credited with collaboration, communication, inclusion, and student success initiatives and has met with more than 65 individual and community groups in the past year.

Gabbard earned his bachelor’s degree from Evangel College and both his master’s degree and doctorate in counseling psychology from the University of Notre Dame. He and his wife, Ronda, live in Bull Valley.