Open forum set for three finalists for Cleveland State president

Three finalists for president of Cleveland State Community College are slated for individual open public forums next week.

Robert Brandon, Jason Goodner and Andrew White will engage with faculty, staff, students and members of the public who attend forums Feb. 13, 14 and 15. The forums are each scheduled for 10 a.m. in the George R. Johnson Cultural Heritage Center theater on the main campus in Cleveland. The forums will also be livestreamed for those unable to attend in person.

The three men are vying for the post vacated by Ty Stone, who began as president July 1, 2022, and tendered her resignation effective July 1. Ray Brooks, a retired president of Piedmont Technical College in Greenwood, South Carolina, was appointed interim president and continues to serve until a new president is named.

The Tennessee Board of Regents Search Advisory Committee held a brief public forum in October before selecting the three finalists for the next college president. The next step in the process is the public forums this month, according to a board news release.

"The forums are designed for the campus community -- students, faculty, staff, alumni -- and the public from the area served by the college to learn more about the finalists," Board of Regents spokesperson Rick Locker said in an email. "Each of the finalists will make a presentation about themselves, followed by a question and answer period. Participants may ask questions about why they would be a good leader for the college or make comments on what the college needs in its next president."

In-person and online access options have been offered to make the forums broadly available, he said. Attendees can prepare for the forum by looking over each finalist's resume.

"If they ask questions or make a comment, they should be brief and concise because the forums last only one hour for each finalist," Locker said.

Documents

• Read the candidates' resumes: Robert Brandon, Jason Goodner, Andrew White.

The college has selected Rick Platz, a member of the college's foundation board, to serve as moderator, he said.

The candidates

Brandon has been vice president of academic and student services at Southwest Virginia Community College since 2018 and was previously dean of the Division of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education at Cleveland State. Brandon has a doctorate in philosophy in English from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, a Master of Arts in English from East Tennessee State University and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Virginia Intermont College, according to biographical information provided by the board.

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Goodner has been vice chancellor for academics/chief academic officer at Arkansas State University-Beebe since 2019 and was previously the university's dean of arts and humanities. Goodner has a doctorate in education in adult and career education from Valdosta State University, a Master of Science in social services administration from Georgia Southwestern State University, a Bachelor of Science in applied sociology from Georgia Southern University and an Associate of Science in middle school education from Darton State College, according to biographical information.

White has been senior director of the Fast Forward program at Belmont University in Nashville since 2022 and was previously dean of the business and technology division at Volunteer State Community College. White has a doctorate of education in education leadership from The Rossier School at the University of Southern California, a Master of Science in public administration from Central Michigan University and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Tennessee, according to biographical information.

Next steps

After the forums, Flora W. Tydings, chancellor of the board, will gather input and feedback from the public and campus community and conduct final interviews to select one candidate for nomination to the board, according to the news release. Input and comments on the candidates may be submitted through an online survey that will be added to a search and information page on the college's website.

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The board will appoint the next president during a meeting to be scheduled later, according to officials.

Cleveland State's president is the chief executive officer of the college, which opened in 1967 as one of the original three Tennessee public community colleges, according to officials. Cleveland State primarily serves Bradley, McMinn, Meigs, Monroe and Polk counties in Southeast Tennessee.

Contact Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6569.