Submitted by South Puget Sound Community College
OLYMPIA — Following a nationwide search and a community-based selection process, the South Puget Sound Community College Board of Trustees has invited five candidates for the position of college president to the campus for interviews and public forums.
The finalists include both in-state and out-of-state candidates. The Presidential Search Advisory Committee (PSAC) presented six candidates to the Board for consideration, one of which withdrew for personal reasons. The PSAC, made up of 21 college staff and community members, selected the finalists from an original pool of 29 candidates.
The following are the five finalists:
- Douglas W. Allen, Ed.D., president of Ridgewater College in Willmar, Minnesota
- Sandra A. Fowler-Hill, Ed.D., executive vice president of instruction and student services at Everett Community College in Everett, Washington
- Larry Galizio, Ph.D., president of Clatsop Community College in Astoria, Oregon
- David M. Smith, Ph.D., vice president of instruction and student affairs at Colorado Northwestern Community College in Rangely, Colorado
- Timothy S. Stokes, Ed.D., executive vice president for academic and student affairs, Tacoma Community College in Tacoma, Washington
“The Presidential Search Advisory Committee has done its job well. We thank the members for their involvement,” said Board of Trustees Chair Judy Blinn. “The high-caliber candidates reflect not only the excellence of the committee’s work, but the quality and reputation of the college. The Board has an important and challenging task ahead in choosing among these highly qualified individuals for the next president of this respected institution.”
The Board of Trustees hired the executive search firm National Search and Education Consulting to assist the board in the process of hiring a new college president. The final candidates will be scheduled to tour the campus and community; meet staff, faculty and community members; and interview with the Board of Trustees in early December. The Board of Trustees will then make a final selection for the presidency of South Puget Sound Community College later in December.
