FOUR FINALISTS FOR PRESIDENT ANNOUNCED BY TSC, DR. ZAVELETA FEELS "OUT OF THE LOOP"

The four finalists to be the new president of Texas Southmost College as announced yesterday on the school's website:

Hector Aguilar, Ph.D.

Wednesday, July 12
10:00 a.m.

Hector Aguilar has worked at Austin Community College for 20 years, the last seven as Dean of Continuing Education, a Division the size of a college comprising of more than 120 workforce and education programs, more than 12,000 students, and about 400 faculty and staff. This innovative division helps people with programs in IT/Computer Science, Engineering and Trades, Healthcare, Education and Teaching, Business, multiple personal enrichment community programs, and an extensive corporate training department that works directly with multiple industries. Prior to being part of the Continuing Education Division, Hector Aguilar was Professor and Chair of multiple STEM Two-year and Certificate Programs in Nanoelectronics, Electronics, Traditional Power Plant Technology, Renewable Energy Technology, Robotics Automation and Controls, etc. Prior to working at Austin Community College, Hector Aguilar worked for Applied Materials, the largest Semiconductor Equipment OEM and Rockwell International Allen Bradley. Hector Aguilar has a BS in Electrical Engineering, a Master in Business Administration, and PhD in College Administration.

Kenneth P. Gonzalez, Ph.D.

Wednesday, July 12
3:00 p.m.

Dr. Kenneth P. Gonzalez is a national leader in higher education with more than two decades of experience in administration, teaching, and research. Currently, he serves in two roles: first, as the Director of a Joint Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership, second, as a data coach for the National Initiative Achieving the Dream, where he has guided more than 40 community colleges in large-scale, collaborative student success initiatives. Previously, he served as Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs at Our Lady of the Lake University where he led efforts in accreditation, academic program development, faculty development, and student success. Dr. Gonzalez also served for 16 years as a full-time faculty member at the University of San Diego, San Jose State University, and California State University Fullerton, where he received multiple national and institutional awards, including the Outstanding Teaching Award in 1999, 2003, and 2010. His scholarly work appears in the Journal of College Student Development, Urban Education, the Journal of the First Year Experience, and the Journal of Hispanic Higher Education (JHHE). His article,"Understanding the Role of Social Capital in Access to College for Latinas" has been the number one cited article in JHHE for more than a decade. Dr. Gonzalez' book (with R.V. Padilla), "Doing the Public Good: Latino Faculty and Civic Engagement," examines the challenges and strategies of Latinos in aligning their faculty work with local social justice initiatives.

Jesus Roberto Rodriguez, Ph.D.

Thursday, July 13
10:00 a.m.

Dr. Jesus Roberto Rodriguez is Dean for the Business Center of Excellence at Houston Community College District. He is responsible for the planning, development, implementation and supervision of curriculum, instruction and course scheduling at 23 instructional sites. He oversees/supports 200 FT/Adjunct faculty and 5,000+ business major students. Prior to HCC, he was Dean at Lone Star College System and Butler Community College where he excelled in strengthening programs, student engagement, and community partnerships. Prior to higher education, he served as Executive Director for an economic development organization and a maquiladora association. He graduated Sam Houston State University with a B.B.A., Texas A&M International University with an M.B.A., and UT Austin with a Ph.D. Blending business acumen with a deep commitment to academic values, Dr. Rodriguez embodies passionate dedication to helping students and communities develop and succeed. A native Texan, he and his wife Ana Carolina Rodriguez reside in The Woodlands.

David E. Pearson, Ph.D.

Thursday, July 13
3:00 p.m.

David E. Pearson, an Army veteran, graduated magna cum laude with honors in Sociology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He received his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees, also in Sociology, from Yale University, and was a postdoctoral fellow in International Security Studies at the Ohio State University. During his academic career he has served as Professor of Sociology, as Academic Senate President, as a member of the editorial board of The American Sociologist, as Founding Director of the Dual Language Certification Program, as a member of the University of Texas System's Faculty Advisory Council, as host of the radio show Society Under Fire, as a University Leadership Fellow, and as Vice President for Partnership Affairs at the University of Texas at Brownsville/Texas Southmost College. Most recently he served as Dean of the Campus at San Diego State University's Imperial Valley Campus, where he established the Imperial Valley University Partnership and the Center for Sustainable Energy. He is the author of three books and numerous articles in the scholarly, scientific, and popular presses.

Last September the TSC Board of Trustees voted 5-2 to terminate Dr. Lily Tercero as president.

In March 2017 the board hired Byron McClenney

Byron McClenney

to perform a nationwide search for president based on credentials established by the board. Screening of applicants began May 1, 2017.

On June 22, 2017 the four finalists as detailed above were announced. The four candidates will participate in an open forum, July 12-13 at the TSC Arts Center. According to the TSC website:

"Each of the four finalists will participate in an open forum in the TSC Arts Center, in which faculty, staff, students, and interested community members can interact.

One trustee, not totally comfortable with the

TSC Trustee Dr. Tony Zavaleta

process is Dr. Tony Zavaleta:

Zavaleta feels "out of the loop" with respect to the selection of a new TSC president.

"I'm not certain it's in the bi-laws for an executive committee to act on behalf of the board with respect to the selection process."

Zavaleta recalls the board's vote to select an executive committee composed of Adela Garza, Trey Mendez and Ruben Herrera as President, Vice-President and Secretary, he just doesn't recall giving the commission sole responsibility to monitor the search and selection process.

"With my years of experience in reading resume's and examining qualifications, I feel I should have been involved in this process," declared Dr. Zavaleta.