Pierpont Community and Technical College not ready to select new president yet

Despite a lengthy executive session recently, the Pierpont Community & Technical College Board of Governors has not decided on a new president for the school. They now expect to make their decision on April 12.

In an article from WV News, the Board Chair David Hinkle talked about how he and the other members of the board decided that it would be best for the school for them to continue reviewing the information they have on the three finalist candidates for the job, rather than making a quick decision.

“There was a lot of information that (we) went over, and we just felt that, to pick the right candidate and do the right thing, we needed to go back and absorb what we went over today,” he said.

Hinkle continued, saying, “We realize that this is a very big decision for the school. And it was the consensus not to rush it and make sure we got the right candidate, because we want to make them a long-term (president) — that this person will be with the school longer than a year or two years and makes a long-term commitment to the college.”

Whoever the new president is will not take on the position until the fiscal year turns over in July. Hinkle mentioned that because of this, the board is not feeling rushed to find the best person for the job: “We’re not on a ticking clock, and we’re in good shape.”

The three finalist candidates have all recently visited the school’s campus for tours and discussions with faculty and staff.

The final three candidates are Dr. Cory Clasemann, an independent consultant in Indianapolis, where he worked for a long time at Ivy Tech Community College, Dr. Milan S. Hayward, who has served as the vice president of Virginia Western Community College’s School of Career and Corporate Training for six years, and Dr. Richard Shrubb, who has taken on multiple jobs at Louisiana Tech University for the past seven years.

While the recent visits from the candidates have left a good impression on the Pierpont Board of Governors, member Jeff Powell said that he will leave no stone unturned when selecting the next leader of the college. 

“This has been maybe one of the most collaborative selections we’ve done here at Pierpont. I think we have three very strong candidates. Personally, I don’t think we can go wrong no matter what direction we take,” he said.

The board of governors is set to vote on the next president at its April 12 meeting.

More information about Pierpont Community and Technical College can be found at the school’s website.