Amarillo College sets dates for open forums featuring presidential finalists
The two individuals who have been selected as finalists to become the next Amarillo College president are scheduled to attend 75-minute open forums during the week of April 15-19 in Ordway Hall on AC’s Washington Street Campus.
The open forum featuring Dr. Laura Boyer will be from 3 to 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday, April 16.
The open forum featuring Dr. Andrew Bowne will be from 3 to 4:15 p.m. on Thursday, April 18.
The purpose of these forums is to give internal and external stakeholders the opportunity to become acquainted with each of the candidates, and everyone within the AC community and the general public is invited to attend.
For those unable to attend, recordings of both forums will be accessible for viewing – once both presentations have concluded – at https://www.actx.edu/president/.
Each candidate forum will begin with the featured speaker making brief opening remarks. Next, the speaker will respond to questions that will have been curated from AC employees, students, and community members.
Time will be reserved at the end of each forum for candidate’s closing remarks.
The open forums represent just one item on the schedule of interviews and tours that each of the finalists will participate in during their respective visits to the College.
It was on April 3 when Regents unanimously approved selection of two finalists for AC’s vacant presidency, a decision that was based on the recommendations received from AC’s presidential search advisory committee.
Amarillo College, which last April won the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement among America’s Community Colleges, began its presidential search last summer after then-AC President Russell Lowery-Hart was tabbed for the chancellorship of Austin Community College.
The exact date when Regents expect to announce their selection of a sole finalist for president of AC has not yet been finalized, but discussions are expected to take place between April 22-30, and any vote by Regents will be taken in a duly advertised and public meeting of the Board, all of which are livestreamed.
Until the sole finalist is officially installed in the office of AC president, Denese Skinner, vice president of student affairs, will continue to serve as interim president.
Presidential Finalist bios
Dr. Laura Boyer, Ed.D., is vice president for academic success at Northeast Lakeview College, a member of the Alamo Community College District that serves the Greater San Antonio metropolitan area. Prior to joining Northeast Lakeview College, Dr. Boyer was the dean of institutional research, effectiveness, and strategic planning at South Texas College, where she also served as associate dean for curriculum and student learning, and accreditation liaison.
Among her various leadership-development activities, she attended the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Institute for Higher Educational Management in 2023; and the American Association of Community Colleges Future Presidents Institute in 2022.
Dr. Boyer earned a doctor of education degree in educational leadership in 2016 from Lamar University, a master of education in adult education from Texas A&M University—Kingsville in 2004, and a bachelor’s degree in music and psychology from the University of the South in Sewanee, Tenn., in 1994.
Dr. Andrew W. Bowne, Ed.D., served as president and CEO of Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kan., a regional community college serving approximately 44,000 credit and non-credit students, 2020-2024. Previously, he served as senior vice president and CEO at Ivy Tech Community College in Indianapolis, Ind., from 2012-2020, and he was associate vice president for college advancement/executive director at Grand Rapids Community College (Mich.) from 2005-2012.
Dr. Bowne earned master’s and doctoral degrees in educational leadership in 1989 and 1999, respectively, from Western Michigan University. He was chosen to attend the Aspen Institute’s Aspen New Presidents Fellowship in 2022-23, and the Aspen Rising Presidents Fellowship in 2017-18.