GCC presidential finalists selected

IRONWOOD — The search for the next president of Gogebic Community College is in its final stages and the field has been narrowed to four candidates.

Last week the Presidential Search Committee, comprised of board members, faculty, staff, foundation officials, a student and the public, interviewed 10 candidates.

Among the finalists are Gerald “Jay” Edgren, president of Frontier Community College in Fairfield, Ill .; George McNulty, vice president of student affairs at Colby Community College in Colby, Kan .; Richard Sax, provost and vice president for academic affairs at University of Rio Grande and Rio Grande Community College in Rio Grande, Ohio; and Stacy Young, dean of the School of Business and School of Advanced Technology at Southwestern Michigan College in downstate Dowagiac.

The finalists will interview with the full Board of Trustees in early February along with participating in open forums.

“The college welcomes the general public, faculty, staff, administration and students to attend any of the open forums,” said Kim Zeckovich, director of admissions, marketing and community relations.

The forums will include a question and answer session with the candidates. Feedback forms will be provided to all attendees and given to the board for review.

The college plans to announce the next President by the end of February, said Zeckovich.

Four days of public open forums will be held Feb. 5-8 — one finalist per day meeting with three separate forums each day — 10:30-11:30 a.m., 1:15-2:15 p.m. (for students specifically) and 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. All forums will be held in the upper level of the Lindquist Student and Conference Center on the main campus in Ironwood or room 200 at the Copper Country Center in Houghton.

The finalists will be on campus on the following days: Tuesday, Feb. 5, McNulty; Wednesday, Feb. 6, Sax; Thursday, Feb. 7, Stacy Young; and Friday, Feb. 8, Edgren.

Edgren previously served as director of education at Sanford Brown College in Seattle. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy in leadership studies from Marian University in Fond du Lac, Wis .; a Master of Science in mathematics from Marquette University in Milwaukee; and Bachelor of Science in secondary education from Northland International University in Dunbar, Wis.

McNulty served as interim director of financial assistance at Western Nevada College. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy in educational leadership and a Master of Arts in counseling and educational psychology from the University of Nevada-Reno; a Bachelor of Arts in physical education from California State University-Chico; and Associate of Science and Associate of Arts from Feather River College in Quincy, Calif.

Sax previously served as campus dean and chief academic officer at the University of New Mexico-Valencia Campus, in Los Lunas, N.M. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Arts in English language and literature from the University of Michigan; and a Bachelor of Arts in English with a concentration in American studies from Haverford College in Haverford, Pa.

Young previously served as dean of the Niles Campus at Southwestern Michigan College in Dowagiac. She earned a Doctor of Philosophy in leadership at Andrews University in Berrien Springs; a Master of Arts in business administration from Bethel College in Mishawaka, Ind .; and a Bachelor of Science in accounting from Manchester University in North Manchester, Ind.

GCC was assisted with the presidential search process by the Association of Community College Trustees. ACCT’s assistance included recruiting highly competitive candidates, working with the Search Committee, and supporting the Board of Trustees, according to Ashley Paquette, GCC director of human resources. “The appointment of GCC’s next president will shape GCC’s future for years to come and the board is fully committed to conducting an equitable, inclusive, and transparent national search.”

ACCT has conducted more than 500 such searches for community colleges and brought a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the process, said Paquette.

“Our recruitment efforts have involved an open, comprehensive, and national search, seeking qualified candidates from all regions of the state and country. We are pleased to have received a strong pool of candidates for the next President of Gogebic Community College from across the country,” said Board Chairman John Lupino.

For more information, visit gogebic.edu/HR/President-Progress.