The Marion Technical College (MTC) Board of Trustees is pleased to announce that four presidential candidate finalists have been selected after an extensive nationwide search. The candidates are: Dr. Daniel Deckler, Dr. Lisa Larson, Dr. Ryan McCall and Dr. Vicky Wood. These candidates will be on campus for second interviews over the next two weeks. The candidate selected will replace Dr. John Erwin who has served as interim president since Dr. J. Richard Bryson’s retirement in June.

“We are excited about these extremely qualified candidates. Marion Technical College needs a strong leader to continue the college’s evolution and meet the needs of both our students and their current or future employers,” said Rex Parrott, Chairman of the MTC Board of Trustees.

Dr. Daniel Deckler is an engineering professor who has been committed to education for 24 years. He served as the interim dean of the University of Akron – Wayne College for two years and offers experience in fundraising. He raised nearly $1 million to his current school, largely for scholarships. In addition, he has built relationships with local businesses to address their training needs, matching students with job opportunities. Deckler received a Doctorate of Philosophy in Engineering and a Master of Science in Engineering from the University of Akron. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Ohio Northern University.

Dr. Lisa Larson is currently the Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs for Hennepin Technical College in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She served as the interim president for North Hennepin Community College for two years. Along with 20 years of higher education experience, she has been instrumental in securing five Department of Education grants and led initiatives for 11 new academic programs, including the first Community Paramedic program in the nation. Larson holds a Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota, a Master of Arts in Speech Communication/Industrial Relations from Mankato State University and a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education/Speech Communication/Political Science from Northern State University.

Dr. Ryan McCall is the Vice President of Academic Affairs for Southern State Community College in Hillsboro, Ohio. He has served in that position for eight years. He oversees four campus locations and has increased dual enrollment from 50 students to over 700. McCall has also directly assisted with lobbying efforts to obtain funding for the Regional Higher Education Collaborative in South Point, OH. He obtained his Doctorate of Philosophy in Higher Education Administration from Ohio University, a Master of Science in Biology from Morehead State University – College of Science and Technology and a Bachelor of Science in Natural Science from Shawnee State University.

Dr. Vicky Wood has more than 30 years of higher education experience and currently serves as the Vice President and Chief Academic Officer for MTC. She has been instrumental in developing partnerships with local high schools and businesses including two apprenticeship training programs. She has been successful in securing and administering over $600,000 in grant funding. Wood received her Doctorate of Philosophy in Higher Education Leadership from The University of Toledo. She earned a Master of Education from the Bowling Green State University, a Bachelor of Science in Education from Ashland University and an Associate of Applied Business from Marion Technical College.

Staff report