Chattanooga State Presidential search advisory committee:
Tom Griscom, TBR board memberHoward Roddy, TBR board memberDanni Varlan, TBR board memberEvelyn Mobley, Chatt State faculty representativeMike Ricketts, Chatt State TCAT representativeRoy Sofield, Chatt State faculty representativeMartina Harris, Chatt State faculty representativeAustin Adderholt, Chatt State student representativeRay Bertani, Chatt State professional staff representativeTammy Swenson, Chatt State executive staff representativeDenise Sales, Chatt State support staff representativeEdna Varner, Chatt State foundation board representativeBritt Tabor, Chatt State foundation board representativeJerald Ainsworth, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga representativeJill Levine, Hamilton County Schools representativeBill Kilbride, Chamber of Commerce representativeDavid Jackson, Marion County, rural communities representativeSource: Tennessee Board of Regents
Less than two years ago, Flora Tydings was named president of Chattanooga State Community College, and now she is responsible for selecting her replacement.
Tydings was tapped to be Tennessee's first female chancellor of the Tennessee Board of Regents late last year, and will be deciding who takes her spot at the helm of Chattanooga State with the help of a nearly 20-member search committee.
"Finding the right person for this job is critical for me," Tydings told the committee during a meeting at the college Friday. " all of you have a good sense of what we are looking for and what we are trying to accomplish."
This was the presidential search committee's last public meeting, as the remainder of the search will occur behind closed doors. Tennessee law was changed in 2012 to allow TBR presidential search committees to meet in private and seal records as a way to protect the privacy of candidates.
The committee is working with Betty Asher, a partner in the Greenwood/Asher & Associates search firm, who helped find Tydings. Asher will be recruiting and vetting candidates, and told the board to expect between 30 and 60 people to apply.
Asher recommended that committee members weed through the resumes of the candidates in the coming weeks and select about a dozen to interview in person. After the interviews, the committee will narrow the list to about three to five finalists.
The names of the finalists will become public and the candidates will visit Chattanooga State's campus.
Tom Griscom, a TBR board member and chairman of the search committee, said the search process has proven success over the years.
"In the end, we will come out with a good slate of candidates," he assured the committee.
Tydings will make the final decision of who to name to the post and bring the nomination before TBR for approval. The goal is to have a new president at the helm by July 1.
Chattanooga State serves more than 9,000 students and employs about 640 full-time employees, including 238 full-time faculty members. The college operates on a $95 million budget.
Before the committee met Friday morning, Asher moderated a forum which was attended by about 50 members of Chattanooga State's faculty and staff, and some students.
The faculty and staff echoed support for a leader that is visible on campus and listens, someone who respects the faculty's voice and has a passion for a diverse student-body. Others talked about the need to boost student retention and help students succeed even when they arrive behind and unprepared.
Asher urged those at the forum to reach out to people they know who are qualified for the position and could be a good fit for the job.
"The best president is sometimes a person who has a previous relationship with the college," she said. "That can be as simple as knowing someone that works here."
Contact staff writer Kendi A. Rainwater at krainwater@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6592. Follow her on Twitter @kendi_and.