BENTONVILLE -- Northwest Arkansas Community College has begun the search for a new president, administrators said.
Ron Branscum, Board of Trustees chairman, updated the board Friday at a retreat on the search to replace President Evelyn Jorgenson. Jorgenson, 68, began as the college's third president in 2013 and has worked in education for 48 years. She'll retire when her contract ends June 30, 2022.
A committee of 21 regional leaders and members of the college's foundation, board, faculty and staff has been formed to coordinate the search, Branscum said. The committee met for the first time Tuesday, according to college documents.
Additional committee members may be added as the search progresses, Branscum said.
Next steps in the process include selecting a search firm in August, he said.
"The committee will choose an experienced and financially feasible search firm to provide a nationwide search of candidates," according to college documents.
The committee will use a bid process, Branscum said.
The search firm will be asked to provide a list of five candidates to the committee for interviews in January to February, according to documents. The search committee will provide trustees with three candidates from those interviews from which to select the next president.
The board plans to name the new president in April, Branscum said.
"Obviously, a lot of work has taken place," said Jerry Vest, board member, of the presidential search.
A budget for the search hasn't been established.
Northwest Arkansas Community College is the largest two-year college in the state. It enrolled 7,411 students last fall.
In other business, Todd Kitchen, student service vice president, provided the board with an update on cross country team recruiting.
College trustees voted 7-1 in November 2019 to start a cross country program to compete in Division II of the National Junior College Athletic Association. It will be the college's first sanctioned sports team. It begins competition in the fall.
Eleven men and four women have been confirmed to run with the team, he said, with two more prospective runners discussing competing for the college.
Kitchen said he anticipates continued team growth as the college enters into a focused student recruitment initiative in the weeks before school starts this fall.
All registering students receive information on the team, he said. Information will also be provided to students during welcome week activities.
Some $21,000 has been raised in support of the team to date, Kitchen said.
"This is about half of what we need," he said. "I think we're well on the way to where we need to be."
The team's first competitive event will be the University of Arkansas Rich Mountain Bucks Season Opener on Aug. 27 in Mena, Kitchen said.