JJC Selects Finalists in Search for New President

The Board of Trustees announced Nov. 23 that three finalists have been chosen in the search for the next Joliet Junior College president. 

The finalists include Dr. Patricia “Kay” Adkins, president of Yuba College in California; Dr. Debra Daniels, president of San Bernardino Valley College in California; and Dr. Maureen Murphy, president of San Jacinto College South in Texas.

In a letter to the college community, JJC Board of Trustees Chair Barbara DeLaney said the finalists were selected from a rich pool of applicants from throughout the state, region and nation, and thanked the 14-member search committee for their dedication and commitment throughout the process.

“I’m happy with how well the committee worked together,” DeLaney said. “We all had a solid vision in terms of the qualities we were looking for.”

In addition to an interview and campus tours, each presidential finalist will participate in a forum at the college, which will be open to administration, faculty, staff, students, and the general public. There will be a brief introduction of each candidate followed by a question and answer session. Comment forms will be given to all who attend and the completed comment forms will be collected and given to the board of trustees for review. 

The search process began in early September after President Gena Proulx lost her three-year battle with fallopian tube cancer on Aug. 12. The search committee, chaired by DeLaney and JJC Trustee Andy Mihelich, was comprised of 12 individuals from across the college community.

DeLaney said she expects the board to make a decision on the final candidate in early December. Additional biographical information about the three finalists are listed below, in addition to a schedule for the upcoming public forums.

About the candidates:

Dr. Patricia “Kay” Adkins serves as president of Yuba College in California. Previously, Dr. Adkins served as provost at Columbus State Community College in Ohio. Dr. Adkins holds an associate of science degree from Shawnee Community College in Illinois; a bachelor of science degree in elementary education and a master of science degree in education, both from Southern Illinois University; and a doctorate in educational administration from Illinois State University.

 Dr. Debra Daniels serves as president of San Bernardino Valley College in California. Previously, Dr. Daniels served as district vice president for academics and student services for Polk State College (formerly Polk Community College) in Florida. Dr. Daniels holds an associate of applied science in dental assisting from Delta College; a bachelor of science in allied health education from Ferris State University in Michigan; a master of vocational and technical education from University of Illinois and a doctorate in education from the University of Illinois.

Dr. Maureen Murphy serves as president of San Jacinto College South in Texas. Previously, Dr. Murphy served as vice president of instruction and student development at Rappahannock Community College in Virginia. Dr. Murphy received a bachelor of arts in English from the University of Louisville in Missouri;  a master of arts in English from the University of Missouri – Columbia; and a doctorate in American studies from Saint Louis University in Missouri.

Public forums

Community forums are scheduled for the following dates: 

Dr. Debra Daniels

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Time:          1:15 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.

Location:   Main Campus Theatre

Dr. Maureen Murphy

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Time:           11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Location:    Main Campus Theatre

Dr. Patricia “Kay” Adkins

Friday, December 2, 2011

Time:          2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Location:    Main Campus Theatre