The Board of Regents for Amarillo College announced Tuesday night that two finalists for the College's next president will participate in separate public forums and interviews on-campus, tentatively scheduled for December 9 and 10. The dates, however, are subject to the availability of the candidates.
The finalists for the presidency are Dr. Jamelle J. Conner, currently Vice President of Student Affairs at St. Petersburg College in Florida, and Dr. Frank Sobey, the current Vice President of Academic Affairs at Amarillo College.
Dr. Conner has led student affairs at St. Petersburg College, a prominent four-year public institution in Pinellas County, Florida. Dr. Sobey, a familiar face at Amarillo College, has served in various leadership roles, most recently overseeing the College’s academic affairs.
Biographical details of the candidates can be found on the Amarillo College website at actx.edu/president.
Over the past week, the two candidates were interviewed in closed sessions by the Board of Regents. The feedback gathered from the upcoming public forums will play a pivotal role in determining the final selection, as the Regents plan to review stakeholder input before naming a sole finalist for a vote.
“We have two outstanding candidates and we have our work cut out for us, but it’s an excellent problem to have,” said Dr. Paul Proffer, chair of the presidential search committee and a member of the Board of Regents. “Amarillo College is in a strong position, and we’re eager to move forward with a leader who will continue the momentum and vision of excellence we’ve built over the past several years.”
Amarillo College began its presidential search earlier this year after the departure of then-president Russell Lowery-Hart, who was selected as the chancellor of Austin Community College.
In the interim, Denese Skinner, Vice President of Student Affairs, has been serving as the College's interim president.
