Candidates in Jackson State presidential search narrowed to 4. Campus visits scheduled week of Nov. 14

Four finalists have been selected in the search for the next president of Jackson State Community College in Jackson, Tenn. Each will participate in campus forums and community receptions next week.

The finalists are:

* Dr. David Alan Bathe, chancellor, Ivy Tech Community College-Lafayette, Kokomo and Logansport Regions, Lafayette, Ind.

* Dr. Jeffery S. Boyd, provost, Tidewater Community College-Norfolk Campus, Norfolk, Va.

* Dr. Allana R. Hamilton, vice president for academic affairs, Northeast State Community College, Blountville, Tenn.

* Dr. Jeffery Lane Sisk, director, Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Jackson, Jackson, Tenn.

The finalists’ resumes’ are available to view on the Presidential/Executive Searches section of the Tennessee Board of Regents website at https://www.tbr.edu/hr/executivesearches/president-jackson-state-communi...

Campus visits are scheduled for the week of Nov. 14, with each candidate spending a day participating in meetings and open forums for various constituent groups, including faculty, staff, students, alumni and the community at large. Public campus visit schedules are posted on the website above. The campus forums will be streamed live online via links available on the presidential search website.

The Tennessee Board of Regents, Jackson State’s governing board, approved criteria for the search for a new Jackson State president at its June meeting. The 16-member JSCC Presidential Search Advisory Committee was appointed in August and held its first meeting and open forum Sept. 1 on the campus. The committee included three members of the Board of Regents and representatives of faculty, staff, students, alumni and the community.Its charge was to identify and interview candidates and narrow the applicant pool to three to five finalists.

After the campus visits, TBR Chancellor David Gregory will gather feedback from committee members, the forums and meetings to select one candidate for nomination to the full Board of Regents for its consideration and approval, tentatively in December. The search committee worked with executive search firm Greenwood/Asher & Associates to help identify a broad range of highly qualified candidates from around the country. The process resulted in 51 applicants.

The next president will succeed Dr. Bruce Blanding, Jackson State’s fourth president, who retired in September after leading the college since February 2004. Horace Chase, JSCC’s vice president of financial and administrative affairs for 17 years, was named interim president of the college on Sept. 2 and will serve until the next president is selected and begins his tenure, probably in January.

Jackson State Community College is a public, comprehensive, multi-campus college offering associate degrees and certificates in a learning-centered environment. Its primary service area encompasses 14 West Tennessee counties. The main campus is in Jackson, Tenn., with additional campus locations in Humboldt, Lexington and Savannah. It also offers courses in several high schools and other sites across the region. Jackson State has been ranked as one of the most tech-savvy community colleges in the country.