PORT ANGELES — Peninsula College trustees announced the selection of four finalists for the position of president Tuesday.
“We have an outstanding group of applicants,” said Chairwoman Julie McCulloch.
“Each would bring great strengths to the position, and they all meet the requirements we set forth in our presidential search profile.”
The finalists — all affiliated with institutions outside Washington state — will be invited to visit Peninsula College, participate in public forums and have interviews with the trustees, though no dates have been announced.
The earliest trustees could make a decision is March 20; they may have a permanent president in place by the end of June.
The finalists, all of whom hold doctorates, are:
■ Dorothy J. Duran, vice president for academic affairs at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
■ Cheri A. Jimeno, president of New Mexico State University, Alamogordo, in Alamogordo, N.M.
■ John R. (Ron) Langrell III, executive vice president of Riverland Community College in Austin, Minn.
■ Luke P. Robins, chancellor of Louisiana Delta Community College in Monroe, La.
The new president, once chosen, will replace Tom Keegan, who will serve as Skagit Valley College’s new president after 10 years leading Peninsula College.
Brinton Sprague, a retired community college leader now living in Port Ludlow, is serving as interim president.
Trustees on Tuesday acted on the recommendation of the Presidential Search Advisory Committee, which sent a list of suggested finalists out of the 23 applicants for the job,
Sprague, who is serving from Feb. 9 through June 30, will be paid $59,195, based on an annual salary of $150,000 for 261 days, prorated for the 103 days he is expected to serve.
Keegan was earning $204,434 before he left.
Duran, who has held her position since 2006, supervises five academic divisions, one branch campus and four educational centers.
During her five years at Iowa Western, she has established an Academy for Teaching Excellence and developed a renewable-energy initiative, which includes a new wind energy technician program and sustainable construction building, hybrid automotive and biotechnology programs.
Prior to her work in Iowa, Duran served as the dean and director of the El Rito campus of Northern New Mexico College and also worked at Austin Community College in Austin, Texas, and at Albuquerque Technical Vocational Institute.
Jimeno has served in her position since 2007.
The institution has been listed in Community College Week magazine as the second fastest-growing community college for its size in the nation.
She implemented an office of student retention and success, receiving more than $12 million in federal grants and more than $2.5 million in capital outlay from the New Mexico Legislature.
She also has 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 at the University of Montana, Western, in Dillon, Mont., where she also was an associate professor of business and department chair.
Langrell has served in his position since 2005.
In that time, the college secured legislative and community support for the campus, founded five community leadership programs throughout southeast Minnesota, created the Professional Intercollegiate Education Center at Owatonna Hospital and developed and implemented full accreditation of selected online degrees.
Langrell also served as the chief administrative officer for the Owatonna College and University Center from 2005 to 2008 and as the chief student affairs officer from 2005 to 2010.
Prior to his work in Minnesota, Langrell served as vice president of instruction-chief workforce officer and as instructional director of Vocational-Technical & Continuing Education at Walla Walla Community College.
He also was director of student services personnel-chief student affairs officer for the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls, Idaho.
Robins has served in his position since 2006.
In 2010, the college completed construction of a new $45 million main campus and consolidated operations with two former technical college campuses.
On April 1, he also assumed leadership responsibilities as interim regional director of Northeast Louisiana Technical College.
He was executive vice president and chief academic officer at National Park Community College in Hot Springs, Ark., and dean of instruction at Eastern Idaho Technical College in Idaho Falls, Idaho.
For more information, visit www.pencol.edu.
