(official release from EICCD)
Clinton Community College (CCC) President Dr. Karen Vickers will be passing the keys to the college to someone new as she officially retires at the end of December.
CCC is one of the Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (EICC). Vickers has served as CCC President and EICC Vice Chancellor for Student Development since 1996, and has held leadership roles with the college for 35 years.
“Karen’s unceasing focus on student success and her compassion for students and staff alike have made CCC a wonderful place to learn and work,” said EICC Chancellor Don Doucette. “CCC has been named eight years running as one of the Top Workplaces in Iowa, and Karen’s leadership and example are major factors in that recognition. The relationships she has developed with community organizations and area business and industry have made the college a recognized partner in the Clinton and Jackson County region.”
A nationwide hiring search has been underway to find Vickers’ successor. That search has been narrowed to three candidates: Dr. Kimberly Armstrong, Vice President of Student Affairs at College of the Ouachitas in Malvern, Ark.; Brian Kelly, Vice President of Planning, Institutional Effectiveness and External Affairs at Lane Community College in Eugene, Ore.; and Timothy Hood, President of Highland Community College in Freeport, Ill.
Community members will have the opportunity to meet the candidates at open forums, each to be held from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Clinton Community College Room 116, 1000 Lincoln Blvd. in Clinton. The forum schedule will be Dr. Armstrong on December 9, Mr. Kelly on December 10 and Mr. Hood on December 11.
Dr. Kimberly Armstrong currently serves as Vice President of Student Affairs at College of the Ouachitas in Malvern, Ark. Her career includes 17 years of service in administrative positions at Black Hawk College (BHC) in Moline, Ill., including Executive Assistant to the President for Intercultural and Community Affairs, Assistant Dean of Student Services and Interim Dean of Student Support Services. Prior to joining BHC, she was a research scientist, managing special projects for Provena Medical Center in Urbana, Ill., and conducting post-doctoral research at the University of Illinois. Dr. Armstrong earned B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in physiological/neuropsychology from Howard University.
Brian Kelly currently serves as Vice President of Planning, Institutional Effectiveness and External Affairs at Lane Community College in Eugene, Ore. He has been at Lane Community College since 2005, serving previously as Vice President of College Services, Division Dean for the Conference and Culinary Services Division and Institute for Sustainable Practices, and Food and Beverage Manager in that same division. Prior to his work in education, he owned and operated his own restaurant and was operations manager for the Tacoma Art Museum. Mr. Kelly earned an A.A. degree from Kishwaukee College in Illinois, a B.A. from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, an M.B.A. from Marylhurst University, and is pursuing his doctorate from Creighton University.
Timothy Hood is currently President of Highland Community College in Freeport, Ill., where he has served since 2011, previously as Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer. He served as Dean of Corporate Training and Community Education and as Vice President of Instruction at Kaskaskia College, and was a faculty member at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and Madisonville Community College. He earned B.S. and M.S. degrees from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, and is a doctoral candidate there, as well.
Chancellor Doucette will meet with each of the finalists and weigh all input received from the search committee and from faculty, staff and community members who have met with the candidates during their visits to the college and community. He plans to make a final decision by the end of the year, with the new president joining EICC in early 2020.
