North Hennepin Community College in Brooklyn Park has announced the four semifinalists for its vacant president position.
The four semifinalists are Matt Entenza, Barbara McDonald, Landon Pirius and Tony Summers.
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities announced the semifinalists April 24 and each was to visit the campus April 27-30. The MnSCU Board of Trustees is expected to consider Chancellor Steven Rosenstone’s recommendation at its Wednesday, May 20 meeting. The anticipated start date of the new president is July 1, 2015.
The candidates were recommended by a search advisory committee comprised of students, faculty, staff and community leaders, and chaired by Tim Wynes, president of Inver Hills Community College and interim president at Dakota County Technical College.
Entenza is an attorney who has served as the Minnesota House minority leader and served six terms in the House representing St. Paul. He was also an assistant Hennepin County attorney and an assistant attorney general for the State of Minnesota. He was founder and senior fellow at Minnesota 2020 – a Minnesota think-tank. He serves on the Augsburg College Board of Regents and was an adjunct instructor at St. Mary’s University. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Macalester College, a diploma in legal studies from Oxford University in England and a juris doctorate from the University of Minnesota.
McDonald has served as interim president at Minnesota West Community and Technical College since 2014. Previously, she served at Itasca Community College as provost, dean of academic affairs and student services, and director of institutional effectiveness. Prior to Itasca Community College, she served as a faculty member at Rainy River Community College. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder, a master’s from the American University in Cairo, and a doctorate from the University of Minnesota.
Pirius has served at North Hennepin Community College as interim chief academic officer since 2014, and as vice president of student affairs and enrollment management since 2011. Previously, he served Inver Hills Community College as dean of students, associate dean of students and director of enrollment and online service. He also served Minnesota State University-Mankato as associate registrar and Walden University in several capacities. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Gustavus Adolphus College and a master’s and doctorate from the University of Minnesota.
Summers has served Texas’s Richland College as vice president for student services since 1993. Previously, he served the Community College of Allegheny County as director of minority affairs and director of financial aid for the Boyce Campus. He holds an associate’s degree from the Community College of Allegheny County, a bachelor’s degree from Duquesne University, a master’s from the University of Pittsburgh and a doctorate from Walden University.
Details of the candidates’ campus visits and the process for providing feedback are available at nhcc.edu/presidentialsearch.
Contact Gretchen Schlosser at gretchen.schlosser@ecm-inc.com