SPSCC to host public forums for leader finalists

A series of public forums will begin Tuesday for people to get to know the five finalists vying to become South Puget Sound Community College’s next leader.

In May, SPSCC President Gerald Pumphrey announced that he will retire in January after serving at the Olympia college’s helm since August 2006.

Each candidate is scheduled to tour the campus and community, meet faculty members and staffers, interview with the board of trustees and participate in the forums, which are geared toward students, college employees and the public.

The forums are set for 2:15-3:15 p.m. in Building 26, Lecture Room 105, at SPSCC, 2011 Mottman Road SW, Olympia.

Here are the forum dates and some background on each of the candidates:

Tuesday: Larry Galizio has been president of Clatsop Community College in Astoria, Ore., since 2010.

Before that, he served three terms in the Oregon Legislature, where he chaired the Way and Means Education Subcommittee and co-chaired the Capital Construction Subcommittee. He also worked as a full-time faculty member at Portland Community College for 16 years.

Galizio has a doctorate from Portland State University’s College of Urban and Public Affairs. He and his wife, Janice, have three young children.

Wednesday: Douglas Allen has been president of Ridgewater College in Willmar, Minn., since 2003.

Before that, Allen was vice president of education services at Anoka-Ramsey Community College.  

He also previously served as associate dean of academic affairs at the Watertown campus of Mount Marty College in South Dakota, and taught English at North Dakota State University.

Allen has a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn.

Thursday: Sandra Fowler-Hill is executive vice president of instruction and student services at Everett Community College. She has worked at the college since 2007.

Before that, Fowler-Hill was executive dean for student learning at Cascadia College. She also served 19 years in various leadership roles, including dean, project manager and tenured faculty at Olympic College.

Fowler-Hill has a doctorate in community college leadership from Oregon State University. She has been married for 33 years and has two grown children.

Monday, Dec 10: David Smith has been vice president of instruction and student affairs at Colorado Northwestern Community College since 2008.

He previously served as chief administrative officer at Lamar Community College, a campus director of two Columbia College campuses and a learning resources supervisor at Fresno City College.

Smith has a doctorate in English literature from the University of Denver.

He and his wife, Liz, have two adult sons.

Tuesday, Dec. 11: Timothy Stokes  has been executive vice president for academic and student affairs at Tacoma Community College since 2004.

Before that, he was vice president for student learning at Texas State Technical College and executive director of the Southwest Arkansas Technology Center at Henderson State University.

He has a doctorate in higher education administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Lisa Pemberton: 360-754-5433
lpemberton@theolympian.com
theolympian.com/edblog
@Lisa_Pemberton