Search under way for new president at HACC

Aug. 16, 2010

HARRISBURG – Board Leadership Services, a unit of the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT), has been selected to aid in the search for a new president at HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College.

“We recognize that this is one of the most important decisions for all of us and we knew that we would need assistance in conducting a thorough, national search,” said Donald E. Schell, chairman of the college’s board of trustees. 

“We were influenced by ACCT’s commitment to the strength of community colleges and the fact that it has conducted more than 350 community college presidential searches,” Schell added.

Edna V. Baehre, Ph.D., resigned July 31 after 13 years as HACC’s president to become president at Napa Valley College. Ronald R. Young, HACC provost and vice president of academic affairs and enrollment management, has been named interim president.

HACC Trustee Tom Richey has been named chairman of the search committee, which will include representatives from the trustees, faculty, administration, classified staff, student body, HACC Foundation, an alumni and a delegate from a sponsoring district. Schell said membership on the committee is still being determined.

“Public forums will be held on every campus in mid-September to ask both the college and the communities we serve for their thoughts and ideas on the development of the presidential profile,” Schell said. “Faculty, administrators, staff and students will also have an opportunity to meet with the ACCT search consultant at those meetings.”

An announcement will be made when those dates have been chosen.

Schell said it is too early in the search process to say how long it will take to hire a new president.