JJC presidential finalists put their skills on display
Cindy Wojdyla Cain ccain@stmedianetwork.com December 3, 2011 7:52PM
Debra Daniels, a finalist for Joliet Junior College president, stresses a point while fielding questions during a public forum in the Joliet Junior College Theater Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011, at 1215 Houbolt Rd. in Joliet. | Matthew Grotto~Sun-Times Media
Debra Daniels
Current position: President of San Bernardino Valley College in California.
Previous titles: Vice president of academics and student services, allied health program director and faculty member. Worked at large and small institutions, single campus and multi‐campus districts in several states.
Major accomplishments: Facilitated a $250 million bond‐funded facility modernization and construction campaign. Also introduced the “Valley‐Bound Commitment,” which covers 100 percent of the costs of college for qualified high school students.
Education: Doctorate in education from the University of Illinois, master’s degree in vocational and technical education from the University of Illinois, bachelor’s degree in allied health education from Ferris State University in Michigan and an associate of applied science in dental assisting from Delta College in Michigan.
Maureen Murphy
Current position: President of San Jacinto College South in Texas.
Previous titles: Vice president of instruction and student development at Rappahannock Community College in Virginia and English teacher at St. Louis Community College at Meramec.
Other affiliations: President of the Gulfway‐Hobby Rotary, secretary of the Southbelt‐Ellington Chamber of Commerce Board, board member of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce and member of the Pearland Chamber Leadership Council. National posts include president of the American Association for Women in Community Colleges; commissioner on the American Association of Community College’s Commission on Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity; and advisory board member of the Higher Education Research and Development Institute.
Education: Doctorate in American Studies from Saint Louis University in Missouri, master’s degree in English from the University of Missouri-Columbia and bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Louisville in Missouri.
Patricia “Kay” Adkins
Current position: President of Yuba College in California.
Previous titles: Provost, EpiCenter executive officer, associate vice president for educational and students services, director business and industry training, director of grants, director of the small business development center and instructor of management and supervision. She worked at community colleges in Ohio, Florida and Illinois
Other affiliations: Member of the Yuba‐Sutter Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, vice‐president of the Yuba City Economic Development Commission.
Education: Doctorate in educational administration from Illinois State University, master’s degree in education and a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, both from Southern Illinois University, and an associate’s degree from Shawnee Community College in Illinois.
Article Extras
Updated: January 5, 2012 8:30AM
JOLIET — The Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees is about to make a decision that will affect the college for years to come.
Rocked by the death of former JJC President Gena Proulx, who lost her three-year battle with cancer in August, the board is now trying to quickly fill her position.
JJC trustees interviewed three finalists last week who were selected from about two dozen applicants.
All three women grew up in the Midwest and either lived, worked or studied in Illinois and now want to come back to this state because they have family here. All three said they had admired JJC throughout their careers because of its status as the nation’s first community college and because of its programs and accomplishments. And all three are currently working as presidents of community colleges.
Each finalist spent a day on campus this week to meet faculty, staff, board members and students. Public forums were held in the school’s theater and each candidate answered submitted questions. (Video of all three public forums can be viewed at www.jjc.edu.)
People who attended the forums were asked to rate the women’s strengths and weaknesses. The critiques were submitted to the board of trustees for consideration.
Debra Daniels
Debra Daniels was interviewed on Wednesday. She is president of San Bernardino Valley College in California. She started her career as a dental assistant but quickly realized she wanted to be a teacher. She grew up in rural Michigan and was the first woman in her family to obtain a college degree.
“I started in community college and I would not be here today if it wasn’t for that opportunity to go to school,” she said at the public forum. “ ... I needed to work and stay at home and help my family. So it was a way for me to go to college and do all of those other responsibilities, just like our students and all of you.”
Daniels said she is working at a school now that has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation and is facing many challenges. She created a program that pays the tuition and fees for disadvantaged students who wouldn’t be able to go to school otherwise.
“Education is the vaccine for poverty, that’s my philosophy,” she said.
Maureen Murphy
Maureen Murphy interviewed on Thursday. She is president of San Jacinto College South in Texas. She grew up in Wisconsin and Illinois and started her career as an English teacher. She thought she’d retire as an English teacher, but an interim administrative appointment as an academic dean at St. Louis Community College in Michigan changed her professional path. She said one of her biggest accomplishments at San Jacinto was helping with the school’s recovery efforts after Hurricane Ike.
Murphy said her college is dealing with severe budget cutbacks that included many employee buyouts. One of the ways she’s coped with that has been to let students and faculty come together and ask questions about the changes taking place.
“A lot of times, people just want to be heard,” she said. “And that’s what I do.”
Murphy also said she would “turn PTK loose” to help boost the graduation rate at JJC. PTK, or Phi Theta Kappa, is an honor society that encourages academic achievement at community colleges.
Patricia Adkins
Patricia “Kay” Adkins was the last candidate interviewed on Friday. She is president of Yuba College in California. She is familiar with JJC and its programs because she worked at nearby Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills for several years.
Adkins said she has a participatory management style.
“A collective decision is the best decision,” she said.
She also has an open door policy and believes it’s important to be “out and about” on the campus talking to students and staff.
“They have to believe your approachable,” she said.
During her first 60 days on the job, Adkins said she would get to know the college’s people, programs and services.
“I know what makes it successful,” she said. “It’s the people. It’s all of you right here.”
Dec. 13 vote
Board Chairwoman Barbara DeLaney said a formal vote to name a new president will most likely take place at the Dec. 13 meeting. An informal decision could be made before then, but it will not be announced until the candidate has accepted an offer, she explained.
Proulx, who came to JJC in 2006, was the school’s first woman president.
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