New EGCC president expected by month’s end

By Denise Dick | March 10, 2015 at 12:00a.m.

STEUBENVILLE

The chairman of Eastern Gateway Community College trustees expects the board to name a new president by month’s end.

“We’ll continue to deliberate with the candidates and hopefully come to an agreement,” said John Gilmore, trustees chairman.

Last week, trustees interviewed four finalists vying to become the college’s next president. Laura Meeks, president for 15 years, is retiring in July.

“The discussions involve details relative to the position — what we expect and their expectations,” Gilmore said.

There will be no second round of interviews.

The four finalists also attended public forums at the main Steubenville campus and the Valley Center in downtown Youngstown.

The finalists are Jimmie Bruce, vice president of academic success at Northwest Vista College, one of five independently accredited colleges within the Alamo Colleges in Texas; Lada Gibson-Shreve, provost and chief academic officer at Stark State College, North Canton, Ohio; Derrick Manns, executive vice chancellor for Fletcher Technical Community College and South Central Louisiana Technical College, Louisiana; and Anthony Summers, vice president for student development at Richland College, Texas, one of seven independently accredited colleges in the Dallas County Community College District.

“Overall, I thought the candidates were excellent,” Gilmore said. “I was pleased with way public forums went. We got good feedback from public forums. Any one of four candidates we choose would be a fit with what our needs are.”

Although few people attended the Valley Center forums, those at the main campus drew hundreds.

“I was very pleased with the way the process went,” the board chairman said. “Involving [the Association of Community College Trustees of Washington, D.C.] with the process was a good thing to do.”

EGCC, formerly Jefferson Community College, expanded into the Mahoning Valley and adopted its new name in 2009.

Besides the Valley Center, the college operates the Warren Center in that city’s downtown and offers classes at career and technical centers in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties.