The Austin Community College board of trustees has some new faces on the dais.

New Place 4 trustee Sean Hassan and new Place 9 trustee Julie Ann Nitsch were sworn in Tuesday at the board's first meeting of 2017.

Hassan defeated Michael J. Lewis in last year's runoff election. 

In the same election, Nitsch defeated Guadalupe Sosa, who left her Place 6 post to run for Place 9. Sosa was elected to Place 6 in 2010, and Nitsch is a former ACC student and employee.

Nitsch will serve the remaining two years of trustee Allen Kaplan’s term. Kaplan resigned after serving 22 years on the board. Hassan is slated to serve a full, four-year term.

Departing Place 4 trustee Jeffrey Richard gave his thanks to ACC and the board, remarking on the community college system's accomplishments since he was elected in 2004, including the doubling the number of campuses and the increase in the number of attending students by nearly 10,000.

Kaplan, who was first elected to the board in 1994, called his time on the board a "weird journey."

He said he remained "extremely optimistic" about the future of ACC.

He also addressed the new trustees, telling them to "carry the college forward with the trust and integrity that your new title signifies."

Two new trustees—Place 5 trustee Nicole Eversmann and Place 6 trustee Nora De Hoyos Comstock—already took office Dec. 5 after winning their respective races outright in the November general election.

Board officer elections were also held at Tuesday's meeting. Place 2 trustee Gigi Edwards Bryant was named vice chairwoman, and Place 7 trustee Barbara Mink was named chairwoman of the board. Place 1 trustee Mark Williams was named secretary.