Board selects finalist for ACC president

Dr. Richard Rhodes has been named the lone finalist for Austin Community College's next president/CEO. ACC's board of trustees voted unanimously to select Rhodes on May 2 at a board meeting and will immediately begin negotiations on the start date and contract terms.

Rhodes currently is the president of El Paso Community College (EPCC) since Dec. 1, 2001 and is the chair of the Texas Association of Community Colleges.

Among Rhodes' achievements at EPCC are leading the college through an enrollment increase of 62% during the 2001-2010 decade as well as implementing reverse transfer with the University of Texas in El Paso (UT-EP), according to his resume.

Through reverse transfer, students enrolled at both colleges can use earned credit at UT-EP to earn an associate degree at EPCC.

ACC President/CEO Dr. Stephen B. Kinslow announced last June that he would retire when his contract expires in June 2011. Kinslow has been the college's president since 2005 and will remain with ACC until Rhodes begins his term.

A 25-member committee composed of students, faculty and staff, trustees, community and business leaders, and representatives of public and higher education searched for the next president and chose three finalists in March: Rhodes, Dr. Katherine Persson, president of Lone Star College-Kingwood, and Dr. Donald Doucette, Senior Vice President of Ivy Tech Community College.

Before the three candidates visited ACC and participated in external and internal forums, Dr. Doucette declined his offer after accepting a position as chancellor for the Eastern Iowa Community College District.

Below is a timeline of Accent's ACC presidential search coverage: