Current Position and Past Experience
Jeffrey Rafn has served as President of Northeast Technical College, a Leader College in Achieving the Dream, for the past 23 years. He leads the operation of NWTC’s three campuses and six regional learning centers, which serve over 30,000 students and more than 900 businesses annually.

Under Rafn’s leadership, the 100-year-old college has been transformed into a team-based, customer-focused organization, and enrollments have risen by 62 percent. He led two successful referenda that created industry-leading facilities in several academic areas, including health sciences and advanced manufacturing.

Education, Honors and Achievements
Holding a doctorate in sociology from Boston University, Rafn serves on the executive board of the Community Colleges for International Development and has served multiple times on the Workforce Development Commission of the American Association of Community Colleges. He is a champion of industry and K-12 partnerships, and he has been instrumental in the development of the NEW Manufacturing Alliance, which has over 200 members.

Rafn received the 2015 Pacesetter of the Year award from the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations and the 2016 Giving Back Award for Presidents and Chancellors from INSIGHT into Diversity magazine. He was recognized by VISTAGE with the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award and received the 2019 Wisconsin Technical College System Eagle Management Award.

Personal Details and Community Involvement
In his spare time, he enjoys singing classical and pop music in the auditioned Dudley Birder Chorale at St. Norbert College.