Saint Paul College presidential semifinalists named

Just got a release from the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system saying it has five semifinalists to replace Donovan Schwichtenberg, who is retiring as president of Saint Paul College.

(That's the best community college in the country, if you haven't heard.)

The semifinalists are:

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  • Linda Baer, senior program officer for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation;

  • Rassoul Dastmozd, vice president of instruction at Clark College in Washington;

  • Constance Mierendorf, senior advisor at Hudson County Community College in New Jersey;

  • Michael Seymour, vice president of Anoka-Ramsey Community College; and

  • Jessica Stumpf, interim president of Anoka-Ramsey Community College.

The board should give final approval April 20.

Here's the rest of the announcement:

The semifinalists were recommended by a search committee chaired by

Cecilia Cervantes, president of Hennepin Technical College.

Linda Baer is senior program officer for the Bill & Melinda Gates

Foundation. Previously, she served as senior vice chancellor for

academic and student affairs at the Minnesota State Colleges and

Universities and senior vice president for academic and student affairs

and interim president, both at Bemidji State University. Also, she held

several positions at South Dakota State University, including director

of the Center for Innovation Technology and Entrepreneurship in the

Office of the President, university administrative associate for data

collection and strategic planning and project director. She has been a

professor at Bemidji State University and an assistant professor at

South Dakota State University. Baer holds a bachelor’s degree from

Washington State University, a master’s degree from Colorado State

University and a Ph.D. from South Dakota State University, all in

sociology.

Rassoul Dastmozd is vice president of instruction at Clark College

in Washington. Previously, he served as dean of the applied technologies

division at Eastern Iowa Community College District, department chair of

expanded programs at Indian Hills Community College in Iowa, and

proto-type labor coordinator and test engineer at Schott Corp.  He holds

a bachelor’s degree of engineering technology from Southwest Minnesota

State University, a master’s degree in education administration from

Drake University in Iowa, and a Ph.D. in education and human resources

and community college leadership from Colorado State University.

Constance Mierendorf is a senior advisor at Hudson County Community

College in New Jersey. Previously, she was president of Sussex County

Community College in New Jersey, senior vice president for academic

affairs at Raritan Valley Community College in New Jersey, dean of

academic affairs at Santa Fe Community College, project administrator at

Mierendorf Productions, a faculty member at Minneapolis Community and

Technical College and the University of Minnesota; and a corporate

trainer and facilitator. She holds a bachelor’s degree, a master’s

degree and a Ph.D., all in English, from the University of Nebraska.

Michael Seymour, is vice president of Anoka-Ramsey Community

College. Previously, he served the college as provost and chief

operating officer, chief financial officer, interim vice president of

education services, vice president for administration, and chief

information officer and dean. Before that, Seymour served as department

leader and grant manager at Riverland Community and Technical College.

He has been an affiliated faculty member at St. Cloud State University

and a faculty member at Anoka-Ramsey Community College and Riverland

Community and Technical College. He holds an associate degree in audio

and visual technology, a bachelor‘s degree in television production

and a master’s degree in career and technical education, all from

Ferris State University in Michigan.

Jessica Stumpf is interim president of Anoka-Ramsey Community

College. Previously, she was vice president of academic affairs at

Minnesota State College-Southeast Technical, dean of business at

Hennepin Technical College, dean of transportation, customized training

coordinator, enrollment and marketing coordinator, and business

instructor, all at Dakota County Technical College, and business

instructor at Century College.  She holds an associate degree from St.

Cloud State University, a bachelor’s degree in business education from

Buena Vista University in Iowa, a master’s degree in business

administration from Metropolitan State University, and a doctorate in

educational policy and administration from the University of Minnesota.

The new president will replace Donovan Schwichtenberg, who is

retiring. The chancellor, along with one to three members of the Board

of Trustees and others, will conduct interviews with the semifinalists.

McCormick will make a recommendation to the Board of Trustees, which is

expected to act on the recommendation at its April 20 meeting.