LDCC Holds Candidate Forums for Chancellor Search
By: Alanna Quillen
Updated: December 6, 2012
MONROE -- The search is on for a new chancellor to lead Louisiana Delta Community College.
The college conducted public candidate forums Wednesday morning on campus.
The finalists are Dr. Rodney Ellis, Dr. Barbara Hansen and Dr. Jerry Ryan.
The three candidates rotated through different forum rooms -- each for students, faculty, and the community who asked questions and interacted with the finalists. The candidates even sat down to speak among folks in forum.
"It's important for them to make sure they connect with these different groups because they become a part of our community, culture and society," said Darian Atkins, director of public relations at LDCC.
"The desire should be two fold, we should want to engage them and they should want to engage us, because we both have invested interest in where this community college goes," she said.
In addition to the public forums, each candidate will meet with the college's Foundation Board and interview with Louisiana Community and Technical College System president, Joe D. May, who will make the final recommendation for the position to the LCTCS Board of Supervisors.
The board of supervisors will make a decision on December 12.
A start date has yet to be determined.
The following are bios on each finalist:
Dr. Rodney Ellis currently serves as Executive Vice President at Atlanta Technical College in Atlanta, Georgia. He has worked at Atlanta Technical College for the past eleven years where he has also served as Vice President of IT, Planning and Development and Director of Institutional Development. Prior to his service at Atlanta Technical College, Dr. Ellis served as Institutional Effectiveness Specialist at the Technical College System of Georgia and Senior Research Specialist at the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation. Dr. Ellis has over seventeen years of experience in postsecondary education. Dr. Ellis is also heavily involved in the community. He is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Atlanta, the Atlanta Tech Civitan Club, the Atlanta Airport Chamber of Commerce, and the Atlanta Business League. He is also a member of the Media and Film Community Jobs Task Force, the Atlanta Emerald Cities Green Jobs Task Force and the Atlanta College Success Network.
Dr. Barbara M. Hanson is an experienced educational leader having served community colleges for over 25 years. Over the course of her career she has served as a Chief Academic Officer; an Executive Director for Strategic Program Development; a Dean of Instruction; a Division Chair for Modern Languages; and a Full-Time Faculty member teaching English as a Second Language and German. She has significant experience in building strategic and collaborative alliances with business, community, and state leaders in order to increase educational opportunities for students; of particular note are the partnerships developed in support of Nursing and Allied Health; Law Enforcement; Emergency Medical Services; and Fire Science. Dr. Hanson has also served as a Consultant-Evaluator for the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association and been involved with the acquisition and administration of over 8 million dollars in grants, both federal and state. She is active in her local Rotary, in chamber activities, as well as other community events. Dr. Hanson earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership, with a specialization in Language and Culture, from Northern Arizona University; a Master of Arts in English as a Second Language from the University of Arizona; a Master of Arts in German and German Literature from the University of Arizona; and a Bachelor of Arts in German and Music from the University of Arizona. Dr. Hanson was a scholarship guest student at the Universitaet Mannheim, Mannheim West Germany; has an extensive background in the liberal arts and music performance; holds a third degree black belt in the martial arts; and has lived and traveled extensively in Europe and the Middle East. She is currently serving as the Vice President for Learning at San Jacinto College-Central Campus in Pasadena, Texas.
Dr. G. Jeremiah Ryan is the Interim Chancellor of Louisiana Delta Community College (LDCC). As such he supervises the Administrative and Academic functions of the 4,100 student college with nine sites in the twelve parishes of Northeast Louisiana. Dr. Ryan, known as "Jerry", started at LDCC in June 2012. Prior to joining LDCC, he served the Louisiana Community & Technical College System as its Senior Vice President of Workforce Development. He has worked in community colleges for 39 years and served three institutions as president. He also was Senior Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson School of International Affairs and Politics at Princeton University. He has been an active teacher of potential services at the undergraduate and graduate levels. In his capacity as Interim Chancellor, he serves on the Board of Directors of the Monroe Chamber of Commerce, the Northeast Louisiana Economic Development Association, the Monroe Symphony Orchestra Board, Northeast Louisiana Arts Council, and KEDM Public Radio Community Advisory Board. Dr. Ryan serves on the Workforce and Economic Development Commission of the American Association of Community Colleges. Dr. Ryan is a graduate of Hamilton College (BA), Stanford University (MA), SUNY Albany (MS) and Nova Southeastern University (Ed. D). He has edited four books on institutional advancement in higher education. Dr. Ryan and his wife Gail reside in Sterlington.
The college conducted public candidate forums Wednesday morning on campus.
The finalists are Dr. Rodney Ellis, Dr. Barbara Hansen and Dr. Jerry Ryan.
The three candidates rotated through different forum rooms -- each for students, faculty, and the community who asked questions and interacted with the finalists. The candidates even sat down to speak among folks in forum.
"It's important for them to make sure they connect with these different groups because they become a part of our community, culture and society," said Darian Atkins, director of public relations at LDCC.
"The desire should be two fold, we should want to engage them and they should want to engage us, because we both have invested interest in where this community college goes," she said.
In addition to the public forums, each candidate will meet with the college's Foundation Board and interview with Louisiana Community and Technical College System president, Joe D. May, who will make the final recommendation for the position to the LCTCS Board of Supervisors.
The board of supervisors will make a decision on December 12.
A start date has yet to be determined.
The following are bios on each finalist:
Dr. Rodney Ellis currently serves as Executive Vice President at Atlanta Technical College in Atlanta, Georgia. He has worked at Atlanta Technical College for the past eleven years where he has also served as Vice President of IT, Planning and Development and Director of Institutional Development. Prior to his service at Atlanta Technical College, Dr. Ellis served as Institutional Effectiveness Specialist at the Technical College System of Georgia and Senior Research Specialist at the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation. Dr. Ellis has over seventeen years of experience in postsecondary education. Dr. Ellis is also heavily involved in the community. He is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Atlanta, the Atlanta Tech Civitan Club, the Atlanta Airport Chamber of Commerce, and the Atlanta Business League. He is also a member of the Media and Film Community Jobs Task Force, the Atlanta Emerald Cities Green Jobs Task Force and the Atlanta College Success Network.
Dr. Barbara M. Hanson is an experienced educational leader having served community colleges for over 25 years. Over the course of her career she has served as a Chief Academic Officer; an Executive Director for Strategic Program Development; a Dean of Instruction; a Division Chair for Modern Languages; and a Full-Time Faculty member teaching English as a Second Language and German. She has significant experience in building strategic and collaborative alliances with business, community, and state leaders in order to increase educational opportunities for students; of particular note are the partnerships developed in support of Nursing and Allied Health; Law Enforcement; Emergency Medical Services; and Fire Science. Dr. Hanson has also served as a Consultant-Evaluator for the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association and been involved with the acquisition and administration of over 8 million dollars in grants, both federal and state. She is active in her local Rotary, in chamber activities, as well as other community events. Dr. Hanson earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership, with a specialization in Language and Culture, from Northern Arizona University; a Master of Arts in English as a Second Language from the University of Arizona; a Master of Arts in German and German Literature from the University of Arizona; and a Bachelor of Arts in German and Music from the University of Arizona. Dr. Hanson was a scholarship guest student at the Universitaet Mannheim, Mannheim West Germany; has an extensive background in the liberal arts and music performance; holds a third degree black belt in the martial arts; and has lived and traveled extensively in Europe and the Middle East. She is currently serving as the Vice President for Learning at San Jacinto College-Central Campus in Pasadena, Texas.
Dr. G. Jeremiah Ryan is the Interim Chancellor of Louisiana Delta Community College (LDCC). As such he supervises the Administrative and Academic functions of the 4,100 student college with nine sites in the twelve parishes of Northeast Louisiana. Dr. Ryan, known as "Jerry", started at LDCC in June 2012. Prior to joining LDCC, he served the Louisiana Community & Technical College System as its Senior Vice President of Workforce Development. He has worked in community colleges for 39 years and served three institutions as president. He also was Senior Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson School of International Affairs and Politics at Princeton University. He has been an active teacher of potential services at the undergraduate and graduate levels. In his capacity as Interim Chancellor, he serves on the Board of Directors of the Monroe Chamber of Commerce, the Northeast Louisiana Economic Development Association, the Monroe Symphony Orchestra Board, Northeast Louisiana Arts Council, and KEDM Public Radio Community Advisory Board. Dr. Ryan serves on the Workforce and Economic Development Commission of the American Association of Community Colleges. Dr. Ryan is a graduate of Hamilton College (BA), Stanford University (MA), SUNY Albany (MS) and Nova Southeastern University (Ed. D). He has edited four books on institutional advancement in higher education. Dr. Ryan and his wife Gail reside in Sterlington.
