Northwest Florida State College chooses Dr. Devin Stephenson as next leader

Dr. Devin StephensonThe Northwest Florida State College Board of Trustees has selected Dr. Devin Stephenson as the fourth president in the college’s 53-year history.

Dr. Stephenson is currently the President of Big Sandy Community and Technical College in Prestonburg, Kentucky, a position he has held since 2015. Previously, Dr. Stephenson was employed as President at Three Rivers College in Missouri; Vice-President of External Affairs and Dean of Students at Bevill State Community College in Sumiton, Alabama; and Chief Executive Officer at Snead State Community College in Boaz, Alabama.

Dr. Stephenson received his Ed.D. in Administration of Higher Education and Master of Arts in Administration of Higher Education from the University of Alabama, his Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Birmingham-Southern College and his Associate of Science from Walker Junior College.

“Hiring a president to lead the college is one of the most important things we do as Trustees, and we vowed at the beginning of this search to take the time necessary to find the best candidate to lead NWF State College into the future,” said Brian Pennington, Chairman, NWF State College Board of Trustees. “We fully believe that Dr. Stephenson is that person and we are delighted to have him join our team of outstanding faculty and staff to provide top-notch educational opportunities to our students so they can be successful in their career and life goals.”

NWF State College Trustee members will commence negotiations to finalize a contract offer with Dr. Stephenson in the coming days with plans for the new college president to assume the presidency in early 2017. Dr. Stephenson succeeds Dr. Ty Handy who left NWF State College in December 2015 to accept the presidency at Jefferson Community and Technical College in Louisville, Ky.

“On behalf of the NWF State College Board of Trustees, I would like to extend our gratitude to Dr. Sasha Jarrell who has served as Interim President of the college since January,” added Pennington. “Her leadership during this past year has been exceptional and we look forward to her continued contributions to advance the goals of the college.”

“Serving the college as Interim President has been a wonderful experience,” said Dr. Jarrell. “I have enjoyed working with our community, faculty, staff and students in this capacity and I look forward to working under the leadership of Dr. Stephenson.”

NWF State College Trustees also extended their gratitude to community members, college faculty, staff and students, as well as the members of the Presidential Search Advisory Committee and Myers McRae Executive Search & Consulting for the time and effort they invested in assisting the Board of Trustees throughout this process. Their participation and the quality of work they exhibited throughout the process is to be commended.

“There are many great days ahead for NWF State College. Our mission is to improve lives through education and we are delighted to welcome Dr. Stephenson to lead us forward,” added Pennington. “We are excited about what the future holds for our college, our students and the communities of Okaloosa and Walton Counties.”

 

Update: May 18, 2016

On May 17, 2016 the Northwest Florida State College Board of Trustees approved the Presidential Search Advisory Committee timeline:

Best Consideration Deadline for applicants: October 7, 2016

Resume Review: October 13, 2016 (Committee will meet from 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.)

Initial Interviews via WebEx/Skype: October 18, 2016 from 8:30 a.m. - 2:15 p.m. (Eight semi-finalist candidates)

Campus Interviews: October 31, 2016 – November 4, 2016

Special Board of Trustees Meeting: November 5, 2016

President-elect assumes the position of NWF State College President: to begin as of January 1, 2017 or when filled.

Update: October 20, 2016

Please note the following message from Michael Flynt, Chairman, Presidential Search Advisory Committee:

Campus visits for the Northwest Florida State College Presidential Search finalists have been scheduled.

The following candidates have been selected for on-campus interviews, please click on individual names to review interview schedules:  

  • Dr. Michael Banks, President, Metropolitan Community College- Blue River;
  • Dr. Michael Heindl, Executive Vice President, Administration and Finance, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College;
  • Dr. Kimberly Russell, Chancellor, LSU Eunice;
  • Dr. Devin Stephenson, President/CEO, Big Sandy Community and Technical College;
  • Dr. Sandra Woodley, former President, University of Louisiana System; Strategic Advisor for the National Association of System Heads (NASH), and Senior Fellow for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU). 

Please note each candidates resume is linked below.

Each candidate will spend one day touring the NWF State College campus and community as well as meet with various stakeholders of the college. These meetings will include the opportunity for discussions with the NWF State College Board of Trustees, faculty/staff, and students, as well as an open community forum.  Please see the attached documents for a full schedule related to each candidate’s campus visit.

The NWF State College Board of Trustees will interview candidates at the following locations and times:

October 31st           4:00 p.m.            Room 302, Bldg. 400                                    Dr. Michael Banks
November 1st         4:00 p.m.            Room 302, Bldg. 400                                    Dr. Kimberly Russell
November 2nd        4:00 p.m.            Room 302, Bldg. 400                                    Dr. Sandra Woodley
November 3rd         4:00 p.m.            Room 302, Bldg. 400                                    Dr. Michael Heindl
November 4th         4:00 p.m.            Room 302, Bldg. 400                                    Dr. Devin Stephenson   

Following these campus visits and interviews, the NWF State College Board of Trustees will have an opportunity to present an offer to the candidate that is best suited to serve as the next president of NWF State College.  The date for this special meeting has been scheduled for Saturday, November 5 at 9:00 a.m., Room 302, Building 400 on the Niceville Campus. Please check the NWF State College Presidential Search page for updates.

We look forward to welcoming these candidates to our college and community.

Update: October 18, 2016

Please note the following message from Michael Flynt, Chairman, Presidential Search Advisory Committee (PSAC):

The following candidates have been selected for on-campus interviews, please click on individual names to review resumes:  

  • Dr. Michael Banks, President, Metropolitan Community College- Blue River;
  • Dr. Michael Heindl, Executive Vice President, Administration and Finance, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College;
  • Dr. Kimberly Russell, Chancellor, LSU Eunice;
  • Dr. Devin Stephenson, President/CEO, Big Sandy Community and Technical College;
  • Dr. Sandra Woodley, former President, University of Louisiana System; Strategic Advisor for the National Association of System Heads (NASH), and Senior Fellow for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU).

“Our committee has been very impressed with the quality of all candidates who applied for our position. Their qualifications have all been outstanding,” said Michael Flynt, Chairman of the PSAC. “On behalf of the committee, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all who were interested and applied for the position of president at our great college. Additionally, I would like to personally thank each member of the PSAC and Myers McRae Executive Search and Consulting for the time that they have invested and the quality of work they have exhibited throughout this process.”

These candidates will now be invited for an on-campus interview to be scheduled during the week of October 31 - November 4. Each candidate will spend one day touring the NWF State College campus and community as well as meet with various stakeholders of the college. These meetings will include the opportunity for discussions with the NWF State College Board of Trustees, faculty/staff, and students, as well as an open community forum. 

A full schedule related to each candidate’s campus visit will be released once scheduling has been completed.

Update: October 13, 2016

Please note the following message from Michael Flynt, Chairman, Northwest Florida State College Presidential Search Advisory Committee (PSAC):

I would like to announce the semi-finalist candidates for the next President of Northwest Florida State College, please click on individual names to review resumes:

  • Dr. Michael Banks, President, Metropolitan Community College- Blue River;
  • Dr. Michael Heindl, Executive Vice President, Administration and Finance, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College;
  • Dr. Jason Hurst, President, Chipola College;
  • Dr. Kenneth Ray, Vice President of Student Services and Enrollment Management, Hillsborough Community College;
  • Dr. Kimberly Russell, Chancellor, LSU Eunice;
  • Dr. Brad Sims, Chief Academic Officer and Professor, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University;
  • Dr. Devin Stephenson, President/CEO, Big Sandy Community and Technical College;
  • Dr. Sandra Woodley, former President, University of Louisiana System; Strategic Advisor for the National Association of System Heads (NASH), and Senior Fellow for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU).

Each of these semi-finalists will be interviewed via WebEx by the Presidential Search Advisory Committee between October 18 from 8:30 a.m. - 2:15 p.m.

After these interviews, the Presidential Search Advisory Committee will recommend four to six finalist candidates to be interviewed on campus by the NWF State College Board of Trustees and other stakeholders of the college, October 31 – November 4, also depending on schedule and availability.

“We are truly pleased with this exemplary group of semi-finalist candidates and we very impressed with the professional and effective leadership of Myers McRae throughout this search process,” said Michael Flynt, chairman of the PSAC. “I would like to thank the Presidential Search Advisory Committee for their diligent work in our review process thus far and I look forward to completing our search for the next president of NWF State College.”

View archived messages from the NWF State College Presidential Search.

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In over 50 years of service, Northwest Florida State College has earned a reputation for educational excellence and community involvement. As part of Florida's public system of 28 state and community colleges, NWF State College offers bachelor's degree programs, associate degrees, and certificates. The college's primary service district stretches across the Florida panhandle from the Gulf of Mexico to the Alabama state line.

The college’s 264 acre main campus in Niceville includes instructional facilities, administrative offices, Raider Arena sports complex and wellness center, the Mattie Kelly Fine & Performing Arts Center and Amphitheatre, technical programs, the Mary Lou O'Connor Child Development & Education Center, a Criminal Justice Training Center, the college’s Learning Resources Center, an observatory, VetSuccess on Campus Center, and the Collegiate High School. In addition to the college’s main campus, NWF operates a joint campus with the University of West Florida in Fort Walton Beach, the Chautauqua Center in DeFuniak Springs, the Robert L.F. Sikes Education Center in Crestview, a center at Hurlburt Field and in South Walton County.

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