The Kirtland Community College President
ABOUT PRESIDENT DR. THOMAS QUINN
FROM
THE JUNE 12, 2007 NEWS RELEASE ANNOUNCING OUR NEW PRESIDENT
 The Kirtland Community College Board of Trustees finally got their man,
ending a more than eight-month search by voting to appoint 59-year-old
Dr. Thomas Quinn as the college’s seventh president since it was
established in 1966.
Board members at a special meeting Thursday, June 7, voted unanimously,
6-0, with one member absent, to hire Quinn, the current vice president
of academic affairs and student services for South Arkansas Community
College in El Dorado, Ark. Quinn will succeed Dr. Charles Rorie, who is
retiring effective June 30 after serving as Kirtland’s top administrator
since 2000.
Kirtland Trustee Richard Silverman said that after a recent visit to El
Dorado and talking with various administrators and faculty members there
he’s excited to bring Quinn on board to oversee the college’s two
campuses – the main campus near Roscommon, and its Michigan Education
Technical Center (M-TEC) facility in Gaylord.
“I’m impressed. I’m excited,” said Silverman, one of two trustees on the
board’s Presidential Search Advisory Committee. “I can’t wait for him to
get here.”
Sally Galer, board president, said she received rave reviews about
Quinn’s ability from the SACC faculty and board members, as well as
local chamber of commerce officials. One official reportedly told Galer
that Quinn “was the glue that held SouthArk together.”
“We were certainly interested to see if Dr. Quinn seemed to be whom he
seemed to be (during the interview process),” Galer added about the
reason for the campus visit. “And he seems to be even better.”
Dale Shantz, director of human resources at Kirtland, said those seeking
to connect with Quinn via phone call or e-mail are more likely to find
the new president answering their questions or concerns with a very
personal touch.
“He’s hard to catch in his office,” Shantz said of Quinn. “But give him
a call and leave a voice message, and he’s bound to show up on your
doorstep.”
“We heard nothing but praise from everyone,” added Ilene Scherer,
general manager of KCC’s accounting department and the classified
employee representative. “And we asked some pretty tough questions.
“He’s a great problem-solver, working with both sides,” she said.
Another factor in Quinn’s hiring was his proven ability to help create
partnerships within the business community. While serving as a
department chairman at Northeast Iowa Community College, Quinn and
another faculty member helped establish a joint venture with the John
Deere Co. to train better service technicians needed for Iowa’s
agricultural economy. According to Quinn, the program has since been
replicated in 15 states and five Canadian provinces.
“He looks very good at finding ways to create relationships,” Galer
said. “He’s a visionary, but he’s good at seeing the vision and the
practicality.”
After voting to hire Quinn, board members also finalized details for a
three-year contract that includes a starting salary of $120,378
annually. Overall, Shantz said Quinn’s contract will be very similar to
that of his predecessor.
“A lot is expected of him,” said Trustee Roberta Werle, before the board
approved the contract by another 6-0 vote. “You get what you pay for.”
The college will also provide a housing allowance, requiring its new
president to live off campus.
“We want a presence out in the community,” Shantz said. “This is our
expectation. By doing this (providing the housing allowance), the board
can hold him accountable for that.”
Quinn said he’s currently working to “wrap up things” at SouthArk, but
he hopes to be in northern Michigan for his first day of work in
mid-July.
“There’s a lot to do,” Quinn said. “By in large, I’m hoping (SouthArk)
can run without a vice president for eight to 10 months.
“We’re pretty organized. It’s a good time for a transition,” he added.
“I really look forward to coming up there.”
Prior to SouthArk, Quinn held the position of dean of academic affairs
(chief academic officer) and vice president (1998-2003) at Northland
Community and Technical College in Thief River Falls, Minn., and
assistant director (1992-98) at the Mitchell Technical Institute in
Mitchell, S.D. Earlier in his career, he was a vocational agricultural
instructor, as well as a self-employed dairy farmer in Osakis, Minn.
Quinn earned his doctorate degree from the University of South Dakota,
master’s degree in education administration from the University of
Northern Iowa, and bachelor’s degree in agricultural education from the
University of Minnesota.
While starting to plan for his move north with his wife of 38 years,
Cheryl, Quinn said it’s premature to talk about any specific goals he
might have as Kirtland’s next president. Instead, he plans on first
reviewing what strategies are already being developed or implemented,
and then help develop a collective vision.
“I look forward meeting with the board and seeing what type of planning
is going on,” Quinn added. “I would certainly like to meet with members
of the community and the employees of the college.”
Currently, about 2,300 students attend a variety of certificate and
two-year degree programs at Kirtland’s two campuses, with the college’s
service area including all or parts of Crawford, Oscoda, Ogemaw,
Roscommon, Otsego, Kalkaska, Missaukee, Gladwin and Alcona counties, and
the surrounding areas.
For more information on Quinn’s hiring, contact Shantz by calling
989-275-500, extension 271, or via e-mail at
shantzd@kirtland.edu. Quinn may also be reach via e-mail at
quinnt@kirtland.edu.
How to contact President Quinn:
Dr. Thomas Quinn, President
Kirtland Community College
10775 N. St. Helen Road
Roscommon, MI 48653
989 275-5000, Ext. 253 (voice)
989 275-6706 (fax)
quinnt@kirtland.edu
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