FORT KENT, Maine — Northern Maine Community College President Tim Crowley is among four University of Maine at Fort Kent presidential candidate finalists who will visit the campus in the coming weeks to meet with members of the public.
The other three candidates are: Dr. Kenneth Newbold, who most recently served as provost and executive vice president at Goshen College in Goshen, Indiana; David J. Harris J.D., dean of the Herberger Business School at St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minnesota; and Dr. Deborah Hedeen, provost and vice chancellor for academic and student affairs at University of Montana Western.
A Presidential Search Committee authorized by the University of Maine System Board of Trustees began searching for a new president in September. Tex Boggs, PhD, has served as interim president and provost at the university since John Short resigned from the position last June.
“Candidates who will visit campus as finalists have been interviewed by the committee and reference checks conducted. Interviews were very successful in helping us learn about the backgrounds, experiences and ideas of the candidates and how they might fit with UMFK’s current and future needs,” said Kelly Martin, vice chairman of the Board of Trustees and presidential search committee chairman.
“The committee was also very mindful that we are recruiting these candidates and of the need to demonstrate why UMFK would be a great opportunity for their leadership. We are in a very competitive market for university presidents,” Martin said.
First to visit the campus will be Kenneth Newbold, PhD. Newbold recently served as provost and executive vice president at Goshen College where he held the position of interim president for a four-month period during a presidential transition.
He previously served at James Madison University in Virginia in academic research administration, leading the institution’s research infrastructure, federal affairs, regional economic development and strategic research agenda.
Newbold earned a Doctorate of Philosophy as well as earned a Master of Public Administration from James Madison University and a Bachelor of Science from Bridgewater College.
Newbold will meet with the public during an open forum 2:30-3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11, at the University of Maine at Fort Kent Nadeau Conference Room.
David J. Harris, J.D., will be the next presidential candidate to visit the university’s campus.
In addition to serving as dean of the Herberger Business School at St. Cloud State University, Harris has academic administrative experience as MBA director of David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah.
He also served as president of The Robert B. Miller College, in Battle Creek, Michigan and as dean at the School of Business at Southern Oregon University and the College of Business Administration at the University of Central Oklahoma.
Harris is also the founder and CEO of two businesses. One of which focused on helping high school students successfully transition to college and the other dedicated to helping universities enhance their career services departments.
Harris earned a Doctor of Jurisprudence and Master of Management from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Washington.
Harris will meet with the public during an open forum 2:30-3:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13, at the UMFK Nadeau Conference Room.
Tim Crowley of Caribou is president of Northern Maine Community College and will be the third candidate to visit the university. Crowley has nearly four decades of higher education administrative experience at Northern Maine Community College where he has also served as vice president/academic dean and assistant dean of teacher education.
He completed his baccalaureate and master’s degrees at the University of Southern Maine and also holds a Harvard Higher Education Management Certificate.
Crowley will meet with the public during an open forum 2:30-3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 19, at the university’s Nadeau Conference Room.
Deborah Hedeen, Ph.D., is the final presidential candidate who will visit the University of Maine at Fort Kent campus.
Hedeen serves as provost and vice chancellor for academic and student affairs at the University of Montana Western where she previously served as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. She has also served as dean at the College of Education at Idaho State University where she was also assistant dean of teacher education.
Hedeen has a Ph.D. in special education from Syracuse University, a master’s in education from Lesley University and a Bachelor of Science in special education and Spanish from St. Cloud State University.
Hedeen will meet with the public during an open forum 2:30-3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25, at the university’s Nadeau Conference Room.
Following the candidates’ visits, members of the public can share their opinions about the candidates with the presidential search committee by filling out public feedback forms available at the finalists page of the University of Maine at Fort Kent website.
