The National Park College (NPC) Board of Trustees adopted a plan to move forward with a search for NPC’s fifth president this week. The plan was approved Wednesday during the regular monthly Board meeting.
Trustee Jim Hale presented the transition team plan to the Board. Hale was appointed by NPC Board Chair, Joyce Craft to serve as the Board’s representative on the transition team. He thanked the Board for trusting him with the role. “Selecting our next president is an incredibly important task. I have met with the transition team two or three times recently. I am very confident that the representatives…certainly understand the monumental task that is before us over the next six or seven months. Obviously, this in not just an important task for the future of National Park College, but also for the ultimate success of our students.”
Hale noted the plan outlines the goals and activities of the transition team, a proposed timeline for the presidential selection process, and a list of the transition team members selected by Chair Craft and Dr. Hogan.
Vice president for Student Affairs, Darla Thurber provided a report regarding student and employee roundtable meetings conducted this month. “The information gleaned from these roundtable exercises will help inform our thinking as we create the presidential profile, and it will also equip the incoming president as he or she builds upon NPC’s strong working culture and mission of student success,” she said.
Thurber said the Board had received a copy of the complete raw data gathered from the meetings, and noted that her report was a summary of emerging themes from the data. She reported that the campus indicated a need for an innovative leader with strong interpersonal and active listening skills, collaboration and empathy; high integrity, a strong adherence to moral and ethical principles; prior experience in higher education; student-centered and highly engaged with the campus; a transparent communicator who is willing to understand the needs of the students and employees; experience with community outreach; and a strong commitment to the College’s mission of student success.
Hale thanked Thurber and the transition team members for leading the roundtable discussions. “It is important that each of these stakeholders have the opportunity to share what is important to them as we move forward. As the stakeholders share what is important to them and the transition team begins to put all of that together, all of that will go into the document that has to do with posting the position.”
The College will conduct a roundtable exercise for the community December 14 at 1:30 p.m. at the Garland County Library. This event is open to anyone interested in attending. Thurber noted information from the public roundtable would be provided to the Board in January.
“I am grateful to trustee Jim Hale and vice president Kelli Embry for leading such an important process on behalf of the NPC Board and campus. I remain convinced that NPC’s future is brighter than ever. If we keep our focus on investing in student success and listening to the voice of our students and stakeholders, we can be optimistic that this search will be a success.” said Dr. John Hogan, NPC president.
