Our Leadership
Email: Keith.Cornille@heartland.edu
Phone: 309-268-8100Dr. Keith Cornille (Ed.D. Educational Leadership, Edgewood College) has held various positions in higher education over the past 30 plus years, before becoming the fourth President at Heartland Community College in July 2018. Dr. Cornille is responsible for the administration, operation and development of the College. He reports to the Board of Trustees and ensures Heartland is accomplishing its mission on behalf of District 540 residents and community partners.
Dr. Cornille and his wife Falicia have two adult children, Justin and Dakota, both living in the Madison area.
He currently serves on the Chamber of Commerce Board, BN COMPACT Board, BN Advantage Leadership Council and is a supporting member of Habitat for Humanity, Boys and Girls Club, Great Plains LIFE Foundation, and Home Sweet Home Ministry.
Terrance Bond serves at the Assistant to the President leading the strategic vision and initiatives advancing our campus towards Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) as institutional priorities. He works with partners across campus and throughout the district, ensuring trainings, programming, and data analysis are being offered through an EDI lens.
Terrance received his Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Studies in Religion from the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire and his Master of Science in College Student Personnel Administration from Illinois State University. He has held several leadership roles with his local church and is currently working towards a Ph.D. in Education Administration at Illinois State University.
Chris Downing (Ph.D. Education Administration, Illinois State University) assists the President in fundraising and serves as the Executive Director of the Heartland Community College Foundation. He additionally provides leadership for the College’s community relationships and strategy development for the Lincoln and Pontiac campuses.
Dr. Downing is a member of the Bloomington-Normal Sunrise Rotary, the Greater Livingston County Economic Development Council, and the Illinois Foundation Executive Director Consortium. He also is a College representative to key community initiatives across the district.
Email: Sarah.DielHunt@heartland.edu
Phone: 309-268-8593Sarah Diel-Hunt (Ph.D. Political Science, Southern Illinois University Carbondale) leads the College’s strategic enrollment management planning as well as student supports and services initiatives. Specific areas of oversight include student recruitment and enrollment services (admissions, financial aid, records, and advisement), student support services, student engagement, athletics, and secondary education partnerships including dual credit, the Child Development Lab, and marketing.
Dr. Diel-Hunt’s community engagement includes serving on Laboratory Schools Citizen Advisory Council, participating in McLean County Community COMPACT, and working to promote civic engagement of college students through collaborations with community groups including the League of Women Voters and Not in Our Town initiatives.
Click the links below to learn about HCC resources in Sarah's area.
Admissions
Student Support Services
Testing Center Student Life Athletics
Secondary Education Partnerships
Email: Amy.Munson-Pawlik@heartland.edu
Phone: 309-268-8249Amy Pawlik (Ph.D. Eighteenth Century British Literature and Women’s Studies, Purdue University) assists the Vice President in strategy development for the Enrollment and Student Services unit. She also provides leadership for all areas of the Student Support Services division, which includes Success Education, Student Life, Student Access and Accommodations, Counseling Services, International Programs, Project Rise, and the Child Development Lab.
Dr. Pawlik serves as a member of the Citizens Advisory Council for Unit 5 and is an active alum of the Leadership Illinois program. She also works with the local Welcoming America coalition.
Click the links below to learn about HCC resources in Amy's area.
Student Life
Student Support Services
International Students
Child Development Lab
Email: Rick.Pearce@heartland.edu
Phone: 309-268-8105Rick Pearce (Ph.D. Educational Administration, Illinois State University), is responsible for Heartland's academic programs. His areas of responsibility include Academic Support Services, Career and Technical Education, Adult Education, Health Sciences, Continuing Education, Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, Program Development and Innovation, and STEM and Business.
Dr. Pearce serves on the Next Step Partnership Council and the United Way Collective Impact Council. He is a member of the Organization of Chinese Americans and the NAACP.
Click the link below to learn about HCC resources in Rick's area.
Jennifer O’Connor (MSN – Nursing, University of St Francis) assists the Vice President for the Academic Affairs unit. She leads initiatives, programs, and reporting related to student learning outcomes assessment and in the instructional development of faculty and online learning. Ms. O'Connor also provides leadership for Academic Support services, which includes the Library, Tutoring Services, Online Learning, and Instructional Technology.
Ms. O’Connor serves as a board member of the Community Health Care Clinic and is the current president of the Illinois Associate Degree Nursing Deans and Directors group.
Click the links below to learn about HCC resources in Jennifer's area.
Assessment Committee
Teaching & Learning Commons
Online Learning
Library
Tutoring Services
Noah Lamb (MBA, Youngstown State University) has held various administrative positions in higher education over the past 15 years prior to becoming the Vice President of Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer in January 2024. Mr. Lamb leads the College’s financial and administrative operations with oversight of business/financial operations, facilities management, human resources, information technology, and risk management and public safety.
Noah is a member of the National Association of College & University Business Officers (NACUBO) and the Central Association of College & University Business Officers (CACUBO) and serves on the Central Illinois Regional Broadband Network (CIRBN) Board. Mr. Lamb is excited about being a part of the Bloomington-Normal community.
Click the links below to learn more about HCC resources in Noah’s area.
Business Office- Laura Hughs (MS Accountancy, Illinois State University) supports the Vice President for the Finance and Administration unit with oversight of the Business Office and Risk Management and Public Safety.
With over 15 years of experience in nonprofit government and education, Laura has worked in finance and budget, audit, risk management, and human resources. Before joining Heartland, she served as the Director of Accounting for Bloomington Public School District 87 in Bloomington, IL, and also worked as an Accountant at the City of Bloomington Finance Office.
Laura's accomplishments include being selected as a 2021 Leaders of Distinction Twenty under Forty award winner by the Mclean County Chamber of Commerce. She is also a member of the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO). In addition to her professional pursuits, Laura generously volunteers for various charitable and community organizations, with a special focus on her church and her children's school.
Click the links below to learn about HCC resources in Laura's areas.
Business Office
Risk Management & Public Safety 
Melanie Fata (MS – Communication, Illinois State University) oversees all human resources operations for the College with responsibility for day-to-day management related to employee and labor relations, talent acquisition, recruitment, compensation management, benefits administration, talent development, performance management, and applicable regulatory compliance.
With more than 20 years of experience in higher education human resources, Melanie has held HR leadership roles at Illinois State University and Illinois Central College before joining Heartland Community College in 2022 as the Director, Human Resources. Since February 2025, she has been serving as the College’s Executive Director, Human Resources, and Deputy Title IX Coordinator.
Melanie is a member of the Bloomington-Normal Human Resource Council (Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) affiliate) and the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR).
Click the link below to learn about HCC resources in Melanie’s area.
Email: Scott.Bross@heartland.edu
Phone: 309-268-8364Scott Bross leads information technology efforts at Heartland for both administrative and academic needs.
