Two finalists named in SFCC presidential search

Two finalists have been named in the search for a new president of Spokane Falls Community College.

Janet Gullickson resigned from the post last summer to lead a school in Virginia, and Darren Pitcher served as acting president for about eight months before resigning in February amid allegations of sexual harassment. The current acting president is Nancy Fair-Szofran.

The finalists for the permanent job are Darrell Cain, the vice chancellor for student success at Ivy Tech Community College in Indiana, and Barbara Hanson, a former CEO and chancellor of Louisiana Delta Community College, who is also in the running to become president of SFCC’s sister school, Spokane Community College.

Hanson and two other SCC finalists spoke at public forums on campus this month. At SFCC, Cain is scheduled to speak Wednesday, and Hanson is scheduled to speak April 27. Both forums will run from 2:30 to 4 p.m. in Building 24.

The SFCC campus is at 3410 W. Fort George Wright Drive.

The finalists were selected from larger pools of applicants. Annie Gannon, a spokeswoman for the Community Colleges of Spokane, said SFCC received applications from 22 people who met the minimum qualifications, and nine of those people were interviewed. SCC received 21 qualified applications, and eight people were interviewed.

CCS Chancellor Christine Johnson plans to select new presidents for both schools by the end of the academic year so that they can start the jobs by July 1.