The Pierpont Community & Technical College Board of Governors has selected Dr. Doreen M. Larson as the next president of the institution and the choice has been approved by the West Virginia Council for Community & Technical College Education.
"The feedback from the students, faculty, staff, community and alumni members who participated in the on-campus interview process clearly indicated Dr. Larson as the perfect fit for Pierpont," said Jim Griffin, Chair of the Pierpont Board of Governors and of the presidential search committee. "The feedback we received meshed with the judgment of the committee. We are excited to welcome her and her husband, Len, into our campus community and look forward to working with and supporting her as she charts the course for the future of our institution."
Dr. Larson said she is deeply honored to be entrusted with the leadership of the next era of development for Pierpont.
"I told the search committee that I am a ‘hard working gal from Cleveland', and there is no doubt there is hard work ahead to further the identity of Pierpont Community & Technical College in the region and the state," said Larson. "Lucky for me, Pierpont, FSU and the region are loaded with people who are not afraid to work hard, to work together, and to always work for the benefit of our students."
She added, "There have been smart investments in business, infrastructure, and leading technology in the Pierpont service region, which has the college well positioned to dramatically impact economic recovery."
Griffin expressed his satisfaction with the work of the search committee and the outcome of the search process.
"I believe that we have achieved our goal of conducting a national search that was open and transparent, involving all constituent groups, while protecting the confidentiality of the candidates involved in the process," said Griffin. "I want to thank my colleagues on the search committee for their due diligence and dedication. The hours spent reviewing the credentials submitted by every candidate - numbering more than seventy - helped our committee make informed decisions as we worked to narrow the pool, identify our three finalists, and offer our recommendation to the Board."
Larson also expressed thanks to those involved in the search process.
"My husband and I extend our thanks to the search committee, the Board of Governors, and the lengthy list of those who made our visit very special," said Larson. "From the moment I started delving into the history and the aspirations of the college, and then through the entire search process, I knew that Pierpont and I were right for each other."
"My guess is that people in this area do not realize how the warm and gracious culture is in striking contrast to other areas of the country," said Larson. "Where else would a campus extend a personal invitation to a visiting couple to attend a ballroom dancing event, knowing of their amateur interest?"
Larson currently serves as Vice President of Student Affairs at Holyoke Community College (HCC) in Holyoke, Massachusetts.
During her tenure at HCC, Dr. Larson has led the campus in increasing the diversity of students and staff through developing college teams and partnering with local K-12 school systems. In several assessment reports HCC students note the diversity on campus as a significant strength in their educational experience at Holyoke Community College.
Dr. Larson was key in forming the Strategic Enrollment Management Team at HCC. The team has implemented several programs supporting not only increased new student enrollment but also academic and social support. These efforts include improved student financial literacy, the Multicultural Academic Support (MAS) program, and a summer Transition to College program. Holyoke Community College has one of the highest retention and graduation rates in the Massachusetts Community College system. The college's development of innovative transfer pathways for first-generation college students was recently highlighted in the December 13, 2009 issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education.
Prior to her position at HCC, Larson was the Assistant Vice President for Student Access and Success at Lakeland Community College (LCC) in Kirtland, Ohio. She began her career at Lakeland as a tenure-track faculty member with responsibility for directing tutoring and establishing services for students with disabilities. Partnering Lakeland with FirstEnergy Corporation, Dr. Larson developed degree pathways for power plant employees and also for utility line workers.
Dr. Larson's doctoral research at Kent State University (KSU) yielded a unique model of career development for adults with disabilities based upon supportive technology and career exploration. Dr. Larson earned a full-time faculty appointment at KSU and has experience in teaching courses in educational statistics, research methods, career development, and ethics at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Committed to community service, Dr. Larson was elected as the Ward 4 Councilwoman in Richmond Hts., Ohio and was recently appointed as the Vice Chair of the Community Development Advisory Committee for the town of South Hadley in Massachusetts.
Dr. Larson holds a Ph.D. in Special Education from Kent State University, a M.A. in Education from John Carroll University, and graduated Summa Cum Laude from Cleveland State University with a Bachelor's in Special Education. Dr. Larson is proud to note that her three sons all began their higher education in a community college, as did her spouse, Leonard Larson.
Pierpont C&TC began its national search following the announcement last fall by current President Blair Montgomery that he intended to retire at the end of this academic year.
Dr. Larson is expected to begin at Pierpont on July 1, 2010.
PRACTICAL ... POSSIBLE ... PIERPONT
