About President Knelly

Ken Knelly has led Clinton Community College through a period of significant transition and renewal. Knelly began his career at SUNY Plattsburgh in 2014, leading an integrated university marketing and communications team. He moved to the Office of the President in 2017, adding administrative responsibilities and later as chief of staff under President Alexander Enyedi. He began serving as Special Advisor to SUNY for the Clinton Community College Transition in February 2024, followed by his appointments as Administrator in Charge, as Acting President, then President in June 2026.

During his time at SUNY Plattsburgh, Knelly led the university's external relations, served as a member of the president's leadership team and co-chaired the university's self-study committee for its reaffirmation of accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education in 2020-2022. His experience includes more than a dozen years as a print journalist, reporter, editor, and newsroom leader. Locally, he is a past president of the Rotary Club of Plattsburgh and led a grassroots effort to bring high school girls lacrosse to Clinton County.

Knelly earned an Associate of Arts in Business from Essex Community College in Rossville, Maryland, a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Minnesota-Duluth, and a Master of Arts in Public Policy from West Virginia University. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education in Community College Leadership at Iowa State University. He is a native of Baltimore, Maryland.