Stark State College in North Canton, Ohio, is a two-year institution that enrolls about 15,000 students. The college has announced four finalists for the institution’s presidency. Two of the four finalists are women.
Laura Coleman is the president of Bay de Noc Community College in Escanaba, Michigan. Previously, she was executive dean at the Bertrand Crossing campus of Lake Michigan College in Benton Harbor.
A graduate of the University of Chicago, Dr. Coleman holds an MBA from the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management in Lake Forest, Illinois, and an educational doctorate from the University of Missouri at Columbia.
Para Jones is president of Spartanburg Community College in South Carolina. She previously served as vice president for advancement, planning, and college relations at Stark State College.
Dr. Jones is a graduate of the University of Mount Union in Alliance, Ohio. She holds an MBA from Ashland University and a doctorate in higher education leadership from the University of Nebraska.
Update: On December 21, 2011, Para Jones was chosen as the college’s fourth president.