BENTONVILLE — Four NorthWest Arkansas Community College presidential candidates will meet with the community this week.
Jo Alice Blondin, Evelyn Jorgenson, Anthony Kinkel and Carol Spencer will be available to meet with faculty, staff, students and community members during forums today and Tuesday.
At A Glance
College Candidates
NorthWest Arkansas Community College presidential candidates will be available to meet with public through open forums today and Tuesday. All of the forums will be held at NorthWest Arkansas Community College located at One College Drive.
Today
w Anthony Kinkel — 8 a.m.-9:15 a.m. and 1 p.m.-2:30 p.m. at Student Center Room 108
Carol Spencer — 8:30 a.m.-9:45 p.m. in White Auditorium; 11 a.m.-12:30
p.m. in Student Center Room 108.
Tuesday
Evelyn Jorgenson — 8 a.m.-9:15 p.m. and 1 p.m.-2:30 p.m. in Student Center Room 108.
Jo Alice Blondin — 8:30 a.m.-9:45 a.m. and 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in Student Center Room 108.
Source: Staff Report
The four candidates have all said they are prepared to lead the college. President Becky Paneitz announced her retirement earlier this year.
Blondin is the chancellor of the Arkansas Technical University’s Ozark campus. The campus has a population of 2,033.
“I know that my strengths are strategic planning, strong communication with the campus and the community and excellent fiscal management skills,” Blondin said of her ability to run NorthWest Arkansas Community College. “My commitment is to the mission of the campus and building partnerships.”
Blondin said her skill set works well with the challenges that many colleges face with declining state revenue.
“Most colleges are facing challenges on the fiscal side as well as the enrollment side,” Blondin said. “My past and present success equate to my ability to address those challenges.”
Enrollment at the college was 570 when Blondin started in 2006, she said. Enrollment for 2012 increased by 11 percent from 1,802 students enrolled in 2011.
“I am a chancellor, I have been a chief academic officer, a chief student officer and a department chair, a faculty member and, of course, a student, and these roles have all prepared me to understand the nature of the higher educational enterprise,” Blondin said. “I have been in higher education in Arkansas for 13 years, I have good relationships with the Arkansas Department of Higher Education and the communities where I work.”
Jorgenson is the president of State Moberly Area Community College in Moberly, Mo.
Jorgenson said operating in a “very open fashion” is one of her biggest strengths.
“I want open access to people’s ideas and to learn from others around me,” Jorgenson said. “I also am one that manages money well, I believe.”
Jorgenson said her ability to operate a multi-campus institution is another of her strengths.
NorthWest Arkansas Community College also would benefit from her connection with the Higher Learning Commission that she works as a peer reviewer for, Jorgenson said. The college receives accreditation through the organization.
Moberly Area Community College operates under a $40 million budget with 5,500 students. NorthWest Arkansas Community College has a $39 million budget with 8,341 students.
Jorgenson said six off-site campuses that Moberly Area Community College runs are costly.
“The budgets are similar, but we have in many ways more cost,” Jorgenson said. “I think the number of off-campus sites makes a difference in that.”
Kinkel is the president of Wichita Area Technical College. The college has 3,600 students.
Kinkel has spent time in higher education in Arkansas as the chancellor of the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville.
“I love the people of Arkansas,” Kinkel said. “People respect us in higher education in the state. I think they get that it is the one way that it is going to change their lives.”
Kinkel said he strives to be the best leader he can be.
“I think great leaders are great learners,” Kinkel said. “I have been able to learn from some of the best. One of the things that I have learned is that great presidents are very humble. We are number one in the state in enrollment growth because I have the best team in Kansas. I think when things go bad you step up and say it is my fault. Great presidents have that view.”
Changing economic times is something all leaders in higher education should be prepared for, Kinkel said.
“I can only speak from what I have done,” Kinkel said. “I believe simplicity is something that organizations in the future have to do. In every institution I have been at we have always been careful not to spend more than we have taken in. We are going to grapple with less resources. I think we are going to get cuts in the Pell Grant. I think the strengths are going to be who you hire, who you promote and how you train.”
Kinkel has been president of the Wichita Area Technical College since January 2011. He was president of Pikes Peak Community College for three years and chancellor for the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville for two years.
Kinkel said he has a desire to work in Arkansas again.
“The best experience in my life was when I was chancellor of Batesville,” he said. “I have a burning ambition for this cause and changing people’s lives. NorthWest Arkansas Community College is right on the edge of becoming a national leader. I think every great coach really do want to coach at the highest level.”
Spencer is the executive director of the Academic Program Articulation Steering Committee in Arizona. She previously was president of the State San Juan College in New Mexico.
“I have spent nearly 20 years as a community college president,” Spencer said. “I think I am very well prepared to be supportive to the community college and where the community college would like to go.”
Spencer has been with the Academic Program Articulation Steering Committee for less than a year.
“I miss the campus environment,” Spencer said. “I miss students and I miss community involvement.
Spencer said she was hesitant to give too many details about how she would serve the college prior to the community forums out of respect to the college.