PORT ANGELES — Multiple opportunities to interview the four finalists for the Peninsula College president’s post extend from today through April 19.
The four finalists are Melissa Curtis, associate vice chancellor of enrollment management for the Austin Community College District in Austin, Texas; Kerry Levett, vice president for student learning and success at Cascadia College in Bothell; Kristen Jones, who most recently served as provost, acting president and acting vice president of human resources at Bellevue College; and Suzanne Ames, vice president of instruction at Lake Washington Institute of Technology in Kirkland.
One of these finalists will replace Luke Robins, who has led Peninsula College since July 2012. He plans to retire at the end of 2021-22. His annual salary in 2020 was $140,600, according to gov.salaries.com.
The new president will be announced in late April and is expected to begin work July 1, trustees have said.
Forums will be in Room J-47 at the college’s Port Angeles campus, 1502 E. Lauridsen Blvd., with a maximum capacity of 50. They also will be accessible virtually.
No RSVP is needed for the open forums.
Each forum will feature a brief introduction of each candidate, followed by a question-and-answer session.
Those participating in the candidate forums will be asked to provide feedback via an online survey.
Here are the schedules for consideration of each of the four finalists:
Curtis — Today
• Today, faculty and staff will interview Curtis from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., and students will have an opportunity to interview Curtis from 12:45 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.
A community forum to interview Curtis is set for 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Join the forums at pencol-edu.zoom.us/j/88975092184, and provide survey information at surveymonkey.com/r/president-finalist-forums-curtis.
• In addition, Peninsula College will conduct the first of nine special meetings of the Board of Trustees at 4:30 p.m. today, in person in Room A12 at the Port Angeles campus.
Trustees will open the meeting, take public comment, which it said was to have been submitted by Friday, and then go into executive session.
• And at 6 p.m., trustees will meet at Downriggers on the Water, 115 E. Railroad Ave., for a public forum and to take public comment. The agenda is at http://pencol.edu/aboutpc/board/agendas.
Curtis, associate vice chancellor of enrollment management for the Austin Community College District in Austin, Texas, previously served as dean of student affairs for the Austin Community College’s Eastview campus, also in Austin.
She earned a doctorate in Educational Administration from the University of Texas at Austin, a master of fine arts degree in fiction writing from Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, and a bachelor of arts degree in Oral Traditions in African American Literature from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
Levett — Friday
• On Friday, faculty and staff will interview Levett from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., and students will interview Levett from 12:45 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.
A community forum to interview Levett is set for 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Join the forums at pencol-edu.zoom.us/j/81638826146, and provide survey information at surveymonkey.com/r/president-finalist-forums-levett.
• In addition, the trustees will meet at 3:30 p.m. Friday in Room A12 at the Port Angeles campus to take public comment, and then go into executive session.
• And at 5:30 p.m., they will meet at Downriggers on the Water for a public forum and to take public comment. The agenda is at http://pencol.edu/aboutpc/board/agendas.
Levett, vice president for student learning and success at Cascadia College in Bothell, previously worked as executive dean of student affairs at Lane Community College in Eugene, Ore.
She earned a doctorate in Higher and Postsecondary Education from Arizona State University in Tempe, Ariz., a master of arts degree in Education from the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, and a bachelor of arts degree in Christian Education from Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pa.
Jones — April 18
• On Monday, April 18, faculty and staff will interview the candidate from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., and students have an opportunity to find out more about Jones from 12:45 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.
The community forum is slated for 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Join the forums virtually at pencol-edu.zoom.us/j/81555568755, and give survey information at surveymonkey.com/r/president-finalist-forums-jones.
• In addition, the trustees will meet at 3:30 p.m. April 18 in Room A12 at the Port Angeles campus to take public comment, and then go into executive session.
• And at 5:30 p.m., they will meet at Downriggers on the Water for a public forum and to take public comment. The agenda is at http://pencol.edu/aboutpc/board/agendas.
Jones most recently served as provost, acting president and acting vice president of human resources at Bellevue College.
She previously worked as vice president of instruction at North Seattle College in Seattle.
She earned a doctorate in Community College Leadership and a master’s in Counseling from Oregon State University in Corvallis, Ore. She also earned a bachelor’s in Psychology and Gerontology from the University of Oregon in Eugene, Ore.
Ames — April 19
• On Tuesday, April 19, faculty and staff will interview the candidate from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., and students will have an opportunity to interview Ames from 12:45 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.
A community forum to talk with Ames will be from 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Join the forums at pencol-edu.zoom.us/j/87614595805, and provide survey information at surveymonkey.com/r/president-finalist-forums-ames.
• In addition, the trustees will meet at 3:30 p.m. April 19 in Room A12 at the Port Angeles campus to take public comment, and then go into executive session.
• And at 5:30 p.m., they will meet at Downriggers on the Water for a public forum and to take public comment. The agenda is at http://pencol.edu/aboutpc/board/agendas.
Ames, currently the vice president of instruction at Lake Washington Institute of Technology in Kirkland, was previously the associate vice president of instruction at the same school.
She earned a doctorate in Educational Leadership for Change from Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, Calif., and a master’s degree of Business Administration in Marketing from City University in Seattle. She also has two bachelors of arts degrees, in Communications and Political Science, from the University of Washington.
A final meeting is scheduled on Zoom at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, April 21. The meeting is at https://pencol-edu.zoom.us/j/87518206798.
Peninsula College conducted community forums in November to aid in developing a presidential profile for use in recruiting.
For more about the candidates, see the college’s presidential finalist page at pencol.edu/presidential-search/finalists.
For more information or to provide suggestions, contact ACCT search consultant Jill Wakefield at jwakefi777@comcast.net or 206-234-6752.
Melissa Curtis.
Kristen Jones.
Kerry Levett.