EVERETT — Seventeen people are getting a key role in choosing the next president of Everett Community College.
They will serve on the presidential screening committee that will review applications, interview semifinalists and recommend finalists to the Board of Trustees.
Trustee Mike Deller, the board chairman, is heading up the search committee. Fellow trustee Betty Cobbs is on it, as well. There are students, faculty members, administrators, a leader of the college’s foundation, and several others.
Next month they will begin meeting with representatives of the Association of Community College Trustees, the national nonprofit association hired to conduct the nationwide search for a successor to President David Beyer, who is retiring after the school year.
Their first assignment is developing a description for the job.
Committee member Crystal Donner, president of Perteet Inc. in Everett, a consulting firm, said following Beyer won’t be easy. He’s helped the college knit strong ties with area businesses, nonprofits and civic organizations and constructed a solid base for the college’s relationship with Washington State University.
“I would be looking for someone to carry on that legacy that President Beyer has had,” she said.
The public can offer input by completing an anonymous online survey.
It’s only two questions. One asks survey takers what they think are “ideal characteristics” for the next president. The other asks them to list challenges and opportunities that they think the college will encounter in the next few years. The survey will end at 1 p.m. Jan. 14.
Screening committee members are expected to incorporate public responses into the profile it draws up and delivers to the board. The trustees are slated to review, edit and approve a profile at a Jan. 15 meeting.
If all goes according to the current timeline, the candidate profile will be posted Jan. 16. Applications would be accepted for five to six weeks.
Finalists will be interviewed by the Board of Trustees and participate in public forums on campus, which are likely to take place in April.
The college has set up a website for the search process. On it is a list of screening committee members, timelines and other information related to the selection. It can be found at EverettCC.edu/PresidentialSearch.
Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623; jcornfield@herald net.com. Twitter: @dospueblos.
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