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College about to pick permanent leader

Dan Hust - Staff Writer
Posted 5/23/17

LOCH SHELDRAKE — Last week, college faculty, staff, students and the public met the three candidates vying to be president of SUNY Sullivan, including the man who's currently the college's interim …

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College about to pick permanent leader

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LOCH SHELDRAKE — Last week, college faculty, staff, students and the public met the three candidates vying to be president of SUNY Sullivan, including the man who's currently the college's interim leader.

Dr. Irene Rios

Dr. Irene Rios spent May 15 touring the Loch Sheldrake campus and talking with various groups.

“This college is preparing itself and has a lot of positive energy to meet all the opportunities coming to it,” she remarked. “I want to be part of it!”

Currently the Dean of Academic Affairs/Chief Academic Officer at Naugatuck Valley Community College in Connecticut, Rios grew up in New York State, where she still has family.

The 59-year-old recalled passing through Sullivan County when Route 17 was still a two-lane road, and she's excited about the developments on the county's horizon.

“Businesses are coming back to Sullivan County,” she observed. “I think there's a lot to look forward to.”

Intent on working at the community college level, Rios said she was attracted to SUNY Sullivan by its values and mission.

“A well-functioning community college is instrumental in improving educational equity and developing skills and talents essential for a thriving community economy,” she stated. “I seek the opportunity to contribute my experience in teaching, developing new degree programs through community and faculty collaborations, budget management, grant development, assessment and institutional research, and working with the community to offer resources and lifelong learning opportunities.”

The college's number one priority? “To increase enrollment,” she affirmed, relating how Naugatuck suffered from an enrollment decline and how Sullivan must look outside its borders to reach student population capacity.

Prior to Naugatuck, Rios was the Academic Dean for the Division of Evening Adult Undergraduate and Graduate Programs at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, CT. She's also served in leadership positions at Rochester Institute of Technology, Saint Joseph University in Connecticut, and at Springfield College in Massachusetts.

Additionally, she's taught courses in business and education, from the undergraduate to doctoral level. She holds a doctorate from the University of Hartford.

Dr. Rick Miller

Currently the Executive Vice President at SUNY Potsdam, Dr. Rick Miller was a first-time visitor to Sullivan County when he arrived on May 16.

“I love it here,” he marvelled. “This is so much like where I grew up.”

The 58-year-old North Country native did recall Larry Appel, however, who was SUNY Sullivan's longtime, much-loved admissions director.

“He was one of the first folks I met when I was an entry-level admissions counselor,” Miller remembered.

A SUNY employee since 1982, Miller enjoys the atmosphere of small-town colleges and has been impressed with the transfer students Potsdam has received over the years from Sullivan.

“They always speak well of their experiences here,” he affirmed.

Possessing a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Virginia Tech, Miller has held multiple leadership roles over the past 35 years in higher education, including as Associate Provost for Institutional Research at SUNY System Administration in Albany.

He was with Paul Smith's College for a decade, rising from Dean of Admission to Vice President for Campus Life and Dean of Students.

A data-driven manager, he too sees enrollment as SUNY Sullivan's biggest goal on its to-do list.

“That's a big part of what I hope to do here,” he nodded.

With three grown daughters and a wife who's a guidance counselor, Miller said he's ready to take on the mantle of college president.

“This comes at a very good time in my life and career for me,” he stated.

And he's ready to work in a team atmosphere.

“I enjoy being part of a campus community. I want to know faculty, staff and students on a more personal level.”

Jay Quaintance

Jay Quaintance didn't have to introduce himself to those who showed up to his public meeting session on May 17 - most already knew him, as he's been SUNY Sullivan's interim president since last July.

Now he'd like to stay permanently, even though originally he wasn't certain he wanted to be a college president.

“It's evolved over time that I've really enjoyed the job and the community,” Quaintance affirmed, adding that while interim president, “I found that I'm good at it, and I can add value.”

Quaintance most recently was Governor Andrew Cuomo's Assistant Secretary for Education, where he worked on the higher education budget, policy development and implementation. Before that, he was the Assistant Vice Chancellor and Assistant Provost for Community College Policy and Planning at SUNY, providing system support to the 30 community colleges statewide.

He came to Sullivan to determine where he wanted his career to go, and he found those answers through the board, staff, faculty and student population.

“The faculty here are amazing,” he nodded. “They are here by choice. I've never seen a place where people went there [as students] and came back to teach.”

The 51-year-old possesses a master's in rhetoric and the teaching of writing from New Mexico State University, but it's Sullivan County that has won him over.

“It's stunningly beautiful, and there's a lot of great energy revitalizing the county,” he said.

SUNY Sullivan, Quaintance added, shares the county's vision of being a crucial resource and a catalyst for education and development.

“We're the center of so many people's lives in the county,” he affirmed. “It's great to be a part of that!”

And like the other candidates, he too is focused on enrollment.

“One of the things a community college can do is help bring a new workforce to Sullivan County, because we're a little shy on people here,” he acknowledged. “... I'd say we have room to grow an additional 300-400 FTEs [Full-Time Equivalent students].”

What happens next?

SUNY Sullivan's board is expected to meet this Thursday to choose a permanent president.

Technically, they'll have to recommend that person to the statewide SUNY board in Albany, who will make the appointment in June.

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