Committee appointed to leading search for next president of Dyersburg State Community College

A Search Advisory Committee that will lead and assist the Tennessee Board of Regents' search for the next president of Dyersburg State Community College has been appointed and will meet for its orientation session and a public forum on Aug. 18.

Board of Regents Member Greg Duckett will chair the 17-member committee, which also includes Regents Mark George, Nisha Powers and Emily J. Reynolds; representatives of the college’s faculty, staff, students and alumni, and business and community representatives from the Dyersburg area. The complete list of members is below.

Dr. Karen Bowyer announced in May her plans to retire, effective December 31, 2021, after 37 years of service as president of Dyersburg State Community College and nearly 50 years of service to higher education. She is the third president in the college’s 52-year history.

The Board’s goal is to have her successor selected by the end of the year to ensure an orderly transition.

The Search Advisory Committee will hold its first meeting, an orientation session for its members, and a public forum on Aug. 18. Both will be held virtually via Zoom teleconferencing, due to rising levels of COVID-19 cases in the area. The forum, designed to give the public and campus community an overview of the search process, will start at 1 p.m. Central, with the orientation session for committee members following. Anyone who wishes access may contact Board Secretary Sonja Mason at sonja.mason@tbr.edu or 615-366-3927, by 9 a.m. Central on Aug. 18, for access information.

The Search Advisory Committee will review applicants and nominees for the next president and recommend up to three finalists. The finalists will be announced and introduced to the community in campus interviews and public forums. Afterward, TBR Chancellor Flora W. Tydings will conduct final interviews and review input from the campus community and the public to select one candidate for recommendation to the Board of Regents. The executive search firm Greenwood/Asher & Associates is assisting the search.

The Tennessee Board of Regents approved criteria for the next president at its June 18 quarterly meeting, and invites applications and nominations for the position. Full details – including the presidential criteria, how to apply and submit nominations, and information about the college – are posted on the TBR website at https://www.tbr.edu/hr/executivesearches/president-dyersburg-state-community-college.

Dyersburg State was established by Tennessee General Assembly in 1967 and held its first classes in 1969. The college primarily serves seven counties adjacent to or near the Mississippi River: Crockett, Dyer, Gibson, Lake, Lauderdale, Obion, and Tipton counties. In addition to its home campus in Dyersburg, other primary campuses are the Jimmy Naifeh Center at Tipton County in Covington and the Gibson County Center in Trenton. More information about the college is also available on its website, https://www.dscc.edu/.

Members of the Search Advisory Committee:

Regent Greg Duckett, Chair of the Search

TBR Board Member

Regent Emily J. Reynolds

TBR Board Vice Chair

Regent Mark George

TBR Board Member

Regent Nisha Powers

TBR Board Member

Dr. Christy Hamilton

Faculty Representative

Assoc. Professor of Nursing and Chair of the Faculty Assembly

Ms. Cindy Williams

Faculty Representative

Assoc. Professor of English

Mr. Ollie Myrick

Student Representative

SGA Representative

Ms. Arie L. Milam

Student Representative

Ms. Carmen Pfeifer

Professional Staff Representative

Counselor/Career Services Coordinator

Mr. Danny Walden

Alumni Representative

Immediate Past President of the Alumni Association

Member of the DSCC Foundation Board of Directors

Ms. Jackie Cherry

Support Staff Representative

Division of Nursing

Dr. Sharron Burnett

Administrative Staff Representative

Vice President, Finance and Administration Services

Dr. Jimmy Barham

Administrative Staff Representative

Dean of Arts and Sciences

Mr. Jeff Agee

Business Community Representative

First Citizens National Bank

Chair of the DSCC Foundation Board of Directors (alumnus of DSCC)

Dr. Kevin Cook

Business Community Representative

C & C Pharmacy

Mr. John Lannom

Business Community Representative

Lannom Law Firm

Forcum-Lannom Construction Co.

Mr. Larry White

Community Representative

White and Associates Insurance Company