Another milestone has been reached in the search for the next president of Coconino Community College.
On Aug. 11, the CCC District Governing Board reviewed the 40 applications received from throughout the country. The Board identified five finalists:
Dr. Susan Bigelow serves as the Vice President for External Relations and economic development at Northern Wyoming Community College District (NWCCD) in Sheridan, Wyoming. She previously worked in economic development leadership for northeast Wyoming. She earned an Associates of Arts and Sciences from Laramie County Community College, Wyoming; a Bachelor of Science in Electronic Engineering, California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo, California; a Master’s Degree in Business Administration at University of South Dakota; and a Doctor of Philosophy in Education and Human Resource Studies from Colorado State University.
Dr. Russ Rothamer serves as the Vice President of Academic Affairs for Coconino Community College. He previously worked as Dean of Business, Community Services, and International Education at Northcentral Technical College in Wausau, Wisconsin. He earned an Associate of Arts degree from Santa Fe Community College; Bachelor of Arts, Master of Education, Specialist in Education, Master of Business Administration and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from the University of Florida.
Dr. Colleen Smith serves as District Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs for Collin College in McKinney, Texas. She was previously President/Chief Executive Officer for Cisco College. She earned Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree from Texas A & M University and a Ph.D. from Texas Woman’s University.
Dr. Christopher Villa serves as the Vice President of Student Services at Fresno City College in Fresno, California. He was previously Vice President of Student Support Services at Long Beach City College. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Social Ecology from the University of California, Irvine; a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Southern California; and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy from the University of Utah.
Dr. Sherry Zylka serves as Provost at Wayne Community College District in Detroit, Michigan. She previously served as an Administrative Intern with the American Association of Community Colleges as part of her doctoral program. She earned an Associate of Arts and Science degrees from Schoolcraft College; a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Michigan; a Master of Arts in Education Administration from Eastern Michigan University; and Doctorate of Education in Higher Education Administration from the University of Texas at Austin.
The forum and interview schedule is as follows:
Page Instructional Site
– Monday, Aug. 24: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. (Finalists Zylka, Rothamer, and Bigelow)
– Tuesday, Aug. 25: Noon-1 p.m. (Finalists Villa and Smith)
Lone Tree Campus
– Monday, Aug. 24: 5:30-7 p.m. (Finalists Zylka, Rothamer, and Bigelow)
– Tuesday, Aug. 25: 9 a.m.-noon (Finalists Zylka, Rothamer, and Bigelow)
– Tuesday, Aug. 25: 5:30-6:30 p.m. (Finalists Villa and Smith)
– Wednesday, Aug. 26: 9-11 a.m. (Finalists Villa and Smith)
The CCC District Governing Board has contracted with the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) to assist the Board in the search process for a new permanent president to replace President Emeritus Dr. Leah Bornstein (2007-2015).
In July, the Board selected Veronica Hipolito, CCC Dean of Student Services, to act as interim president until the new permanent president has been selected. The Board anticipates having the permanent president selected sometime in September.
For more information on the candidates, photos and up-to-date information on the search, visit https://www.coconino.edu/ccc-president-office/presidential-search-process