By Lucky Kidd
IOLA, Kan. — Allen Community College Board of Trustees Chair Becky Nilges has announced on behalf of the board the start of the search process for the next President of Allen CC.
The Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) has been selected to assist us with the Presidential search process. ACCT’s assistance will include providing support with the development of the Presidential Profile, recruiting highly competitive candidates, and working extensively with the College and the Board of Trustees.
ACCT has conducted over 750 community college searches and brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our process. ACCT’s mission is to strengthen community college governance through education and advocacy. Ed Massey, Ph.D., will serve as our ACCT Search Consultant and will assist the College throughout this important process.
An important step in the Presidential search process is the development of a Presidential Profile. On Sept. 19, 2024, there will be three Public Forums to listen to your input, which will assist with the development of the Presidential Profile.
The entire College community is invited and encouraged to participate in a discussion about the qualities, characteristics, and qualifications we are seeking in the next President of Allen Community College, and the opportunities and challenges facing the College in the years to come. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to ask questions about the Presidential search process.
The discussions will be facilitated by Dr. Massey, and will be held Thursday September 19th in the Stadler Conference Room on the Allen campus. There will be three one-hour sessions at 10:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Please share the forum information with those who have an interest in Allen Community College and wish to attend. No RSVP is needed.
In addition to the Public Forum, a brief electronic survey is available for those unable to attend one of the forums. The anonymous responses to the survey will also be used to inform the development of the draft Presidential Profile. The survey can be found at www.surveymonkey.com/r/allen-community-college-presidential-search. The survey will be available until 5:00 p.m. on Sept. 19.
An 11-member Presidential Search Committee will review the confidential applications, interview semifinalist candidates, and identify the final candidates to be forwarded to the Board of Trustees for consideration.
The Search Committee is comprised of the following members:
- Jessica Thompson – Search Committee Chair and Board Member
- Becky Nilges – Board Chair
- Gary McIntosh – Community Member
- Karen Emerson – Community Member
- Bethany Gould – Student
- Nicci Denny – Faculty – Business Instructor
- Trish Stogsdill – Faculty – Theatre Instructor
- Melanie Wallace – Staff – Dean for Distance and General Education
- Bruce Symes – Staff – Director of Tutoring
- Amy Ogleby – Staff – Academic Advisor
- Vince DeGrado – Staff – Athletics – Head Cross Country/Track Coach
All final candidates will participate in open forums at Allen Community College and the finalists will interview with the Board of Trustees. The open forums are expected to take place in December 2024 with dates, times, and location to be determined. All employees, students, and community members will be invited to attend the open forums and complete feedback forums which will be reviewed as part of the deliberation process.
Recruitment efforts will involve an open and thorough national search, seeking qualified candidates from all regions of the country. ACCT specializes in one-to-one recruitment of community college leaders. Additionally, to assist with this process, advertisements will be placed in the Chronicle of Higher Education and other major publications and websites.
Information on the presidential search process will be posted on the college’s website at www.allencc.edu/.