Four to be interviewed for top job at Owens Community College

Candidates being interviewed for Owens Community College president are, clockwise from top left, Mike Bower, Dorey Diab, Randall R. Miller, and Maureen Murphy.

Trustees at Owens Community College plan to interview four candidates for the president’s job Thursday with the goal of appointing the college’s sixth president by the end of the school year.

The candidates, who were selected from a field of 67 applicants, are: Mike Bower, president of Lake Region State College in Devils Lake, N.D.; Dorey Diab, provost and chief academic officer at Stark State College in Canton, Ohio; Randall R. Miller, senior consultant to the chancellor of Wayne County Community College District in Detroit, and Maureen Murphy, president of San Jacinto College South in Houston, Texas.

Dee Talmage, chairman of the presidential search committee and of the college’s board of trustees, said the full board is scheduled to meet and interview the four candidates during an all-day executive session Thursday. No decision would be made at that time, she said.

Owens has been without a full-time president since Sept. 30 when President Larry McDougle retired. Mr. McDougle, who previously worked as president of Northwest State Community College near Archbold, came to Owens Jan. 1, 2010 as interim president when former President Christa Adams retired.

Trustees launched a search for a permanent replacement at that time but ultimately convinced Mr. McDougle to stay on as president. He intended to retire June 30, 2012 but moved his retirement date up to Sept. 30 after suffering a heart attack.

Ms. Talmage said trustees had hired Heidrick & Struggles International Inc. last June to assist the college with its presidential search and did not expedite the process when Mr. McDougle retired earlier than planned.

“Our timeline was in place, and we just stuck with that timeline,” she said.

The college has a $75,000 contract with Heidrick & Struggles to conduct the search.

Ms. Talmage said forums were held on campus to solicit ideas of what constituents were looking for in a new president, and the search committee received a number of excellent candidates.

Asked what kind of president trustees are seeking, she said, “Someone who can network in the community. Someone who is trustworthy. Someone that can be a leader. Someone we can have confidence in. Someone who can work with the foundation. Someone who is a people person. I guess we want it all.”

Owens spokesman Brad Meyer said that once the interviews are conducted, a decision will be made to invite the finalists to campus for open forums.

“The open forums are intended to provide both the campus and community with the opportunity to meet the presidential finalists,” he said. “The forums will be open to the public.”

John Satkowski, Owens’ chief financial officer, has been serving as interim president since Oct. 1. He is being paid an annual salary of $195,000 and receives the use of a Jeep Grand Cherokee, Mr. Meyer said.

During a trustees meeting Tuesday, Ms. Talmage was re-elected to serve as chairman of the board, while Rich Rowe was re-elected as vice chairman. Both are to serve one-year terms.