Cleveland State Community College Presidential Search Advisory Committee appointed, public forum set for Oct. 26

The Search Advisory Committee that will lead the Tennessee Board of Regents' search for the next president of Cleveland State Community College has been appointed and will meet for its orientation session and a public forum on Oct. 26.

Board of Regents Member Danni B. Varlan will chair the 19-member committee, which also includes Regents Miles A. Burdine and Thomas A.H. White, representatives of the college’s faculty, staff, students and alumni, and business and community representatives from Southeast Tennessee.  The full list of members is below.

The Search Advisory Committee will meet for an orientation session for its members and a brief public forum that will provide an overview of the search process at 2 p.m. ET, Oct. 26, 2023, in the auditorium of the George R. Johnson Cultural Heritage Center on the Cleveland campus, 3535 Adkisson Drive, Cleveland, TN 37312. The public forum will be also be accessible online at this Zoom link: https://mycs-cc.zoom.us/j/96924481081. Anyone needing assistance with the Zoom meeting may contact Ashley Raburn at araburn@clevelandstatecc.edu or (423) 478-6216 or Casi Hodges at chodges@clevelandstatecc.edu or (423) 478-6200.  

The committee will review applicants and nominees for the next president and recommend finalists. The finalists will be announced and participate in campus meetings and public forums. Afterward, TBR Chancellor Flora W. Tydings will review input from the campus community and the public and conduct final interviews to recommend a single candidate for consideration by the Board of Regents, which appoint presidents of all colleges in the system.

The next president will succeed Dr. Ray Brooks, who is serving as interim president since the resignation earlier this year of Dr. Ty Stone. Cleveland State is a comprehensive, public community college committed to providing open access and quality education to all students.

The Board of Regents approved criteria for the next president July 13. Full details – including the presidential criteria, how to apply and submit nominations, and information about the college – are posted on the TBR website at https://www.tbr.edu/hr/executivesearches/president-cleveland-state-community-college.  

Academic Search Inc., an executive search and consulting firm, is assisting in the search process.

Members of the Search Advisory Committee:

Regent Danni B. Varlan

Member, Board of Regents

Search Committee Chair

Regent Miles A. Burdine

Member, Board of Regents

Regent Thomas A. H. White

Member, Board of Regents

Melodee Alexander

Faculty Representative

Faculty Senate President

Jason Taylor

Faculty Representative

Caleb Chapman

Student Representative

Aspen Davis

Student Representative

Student Government President

Corey Campbell

Administrative Representative

Vice President, Academic Affairs

Kellie Frank

Administrative Representative

Executive Director, Human Resources

Chad Cameron

Staff Representative

Interim Director, Student Success

Kim Howard

Staff Representative

Technical Clerk

Mark Wilson

Staff Representative

Director, Counseling & Support Services

Mike Bell

Alumni Representative

Jonathan Cantrell

Alumni Representative

Kevin Brooks

Community Representative

Mayor, City of Cleveland

John Gentry

Community Representative

Mayor, McMinn County

Vant Hardaway

Community Representative

Connie Vaughan

Business Representative

Susan Hatto

President, Tennessee College

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