by AMANDA WINTERS
Sequim Gazette

The four finalists for president of Peninsula College are in the area this week to participate in a series of public forums.

 

The finalists, chosen by the college board of trustees, will each participate in a public forum at the Port Angeles campus as well as at the extension sites in Forks and Port Townsend before the week is over.

 

Following the public forums and interviews, the board will choose which candidate will succeed Dr. Thomas Keegan as the next president.

 

Keegan left Peninsula College in January after 10 years for a job as president of Skagit Valley College.

Retired community college administrator Dr. Brinton Sprague began as interim president in February and will continue until July when the new president takes over.

 

Two of the finalists are women. Peninsula College has had just one female president before: Joyce Helens served from 1992-1994, when she resigned following a tumultuous tenure.

 

The finalists are as follows:

Dr. Dorothy J. Duran — Vice president for Academic Affairs since 2006 at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Prior to that, she was dean/director of the El Rito campus of Northern New Mexico College and worked at Austin Community College in Austin, Texas, and Albuquerque Technical Vocational Institute.

 

Dr. Cheri A. Jimeno — President of New Mexico State University – Alamo-gordo in Alamogordo, N.M., since 2007. Jimeno served as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at Montana State University Northern in Havre, Mont., and as dean of the School of Education, Business and Technology and as a department chairman and associate professor of business at the University of Montana Western in Dillon, Mont.

 

Dr. John R. (Ron) Langrell III — Executive vice president since 2005 for Riverland Community College in Austin, Minn. Langrell served as vice president of instruction/chief workforce officer and instructional director of vocational-technical and continuing education at Walla Walla Community College before he began working in Minnesota. He also served as director of student services personnel/chief student affairs officer at the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls, Idaho.

 

Dr. Luke P. Robins — Chancellor of Louisiana Delta Community College since 2006. He also held academic leadership positions at National Park Community College in Hot Springs, Ark., as executive vice president/chief academic officer and at Eastern Idaho Technical College in Idaho Falls, Idaho, as dean of instruction.

 

For more information go to pc.ctc.edu/presidential_search/default.asp.