New Owens president is officially welcomed

10/24/2001

In lieu of a formal inauguration, Owens Community College yesterday threw a reception for its new president, Dr. Christa Adams.

The occasion was an opportunity for Dr. Adams, 59, to meet many of Owens' faculty and staff, who milled about the library on the Perrysburg Township campus eating canap s to the gentle strains of a harp played by Denise Grupp-Verbon, an Owens music instructor.

Asked beforehand about the remarks she would deliver, Dr. Adams, who took office July 26, said she had nothing prepared, except for a few notes. “I don't do formal speeches,” she laughed.

Owens board Chairwoman Patricia Wise warmly introduced Dr. Adams, telling the 300 guests, “Dr. Adams came to Owens from St. Clair County Community College in Port Huron, Mich. I can tell you from personal experience, they didn't want to let her go.”

She said the college, which has a campus in Findlay, was fulfilling its mission of preparing its students for the job market. The college's job-placement rate for its graduates was 96 percent, she said, “and 80 percent of these are in their fields of study.” She said the college would continue to work closely with businesses. “Here's to continuing excellence in education and making good things happen,” she concluded.