3 women in the running to lead Columbia Basin College

Columbia Basin College will likely have its first woman president this fall.

A Michigan provost, a former Louisiana chancellor and a Washington vice president will visit the campus in August to meet with students, staff and faculty.

And the public can attend the student or faculty forums.

The finalists are Rebekah Woods from Michigan’s Jackson College, Barbara Hanson from Louisiana Delta Community Colleges and Rebecca Williamson from Green River College.

Thirty-five applicants applied from across the country and from a variety of job levels, said Kedrich Jackson, CBC board chairman.

“You always hope to get a diverse group of applicants and we are very fortunate to be able to do that,” he said.

The women are vying to replace Rich Cummins, who left the spot at the end of March to take the job as chancellor of Western Governors University Washington. He spent 27 years at the college.

Former college President Lee Thornton has stepped in to run the institution while the search for a new president is being conducted.

The next president is responsible for carrying forward several major initiatives, including the Richland-based Health Sciences Academy, the culinary arts program in Kennewick, the Pasco-based high school academy and a new student housing facility.

The college employs 123 full-time faculty who teach about 8,000 students on campuses in Pasco and Richland. The search involved faculty, staff and a group of community members to help pick the finalists.

“We’re very pleased with the process that we used,” Jackson said. “We feel like we landed on a great group of finalists.”

Barbara Hanson

Hanson’s nearly 31-year career in higher education includes teaching at Arizona Western College, a community college in Yuma, Ariz., before moving into administrative roles.

She advanced from chairwoman to dean to vice president and finally served four years as the head of the Louisiana Delta Community Colleges.

Hanson said CBC’s desire to meet the needs of an evolving Tri-Cities attracted her to apply for the opening.

“I want to be part of an institution that is so obviously committed to preparing its citizenry for meaningful participation in the social, political, economic and aesthetic aspects of community life,” she said in a statement released by CBC.

Hanson is scheduled to hold a student forum at 11:30 a.m. on Aug. 17 in the H Building’s Congress Room and a faculty forum is at 4 p.m. in Room 121 of the Social Sciences and World Languages building.

Hanson stepped down from her role as the head of the Louisiana Delta Community College system in April, saying she wanted to spend more time with her new grandchild in Arizona.

Rebecca Williamson

Williamson has made a career working in Washington’s community college system. She started more than 20 years ago as the assistant director and outreach coordinator for Women’s Programs at Highline Community College.

She continued working in higher education including a three-year stretch as part of the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.

She was appointed to become Green River College’s interim vice president of instruction in 2016.

“With strong family ties to the region, I am delighted at the prospect of joining the (Columbia Basin College) team and working collectively with the internal and external community to advance the college,” Williamson said.

The college’s greatest asset is its employees, who show an unwavering commitment to the students, she said.

Her student forum is 11:30 a.m. on Aug. 3 at the H Building’s Congress Room and the faculty forum is 4 p.m. in Room 121 in the Social Sciences and World Languages building.

Rebekah Woods

A trained attorney, Woods began her higher education career nearly 20 years ago at a Virginia law school. She moved onto community colleges in 2004, when she became the director of student success at Lansing Community College in Michigan.

She has held her current spot as provost at Jackson College since 2012. The college, near Jackson, Mich., also was a traditional two-year school before adding two bachelor’s programs in 2013.

Woods said CBC’s commitment to student success drew her to pursue the presidency. She praised the school’s innovative education initiatives and it’s understanding of the pivotal economic development role it plays.

“I am deeply humbled and excited to be selected as a candidate for the next president of CBC and look forward to being on campus and learning more about the college and the Tri-Cities community,” she said in a statement.

A student forum is scheduled at noon on Aug. 23 in the H Building Congress Room and a faculty forum is at 4 p.m. in Room 121 of the Social Science and World Languages building.

This story was originally published July 25, 2017 at 6:30 PM with the headline "3 women in the running to lead Columbia Basin College."