On Tuesday, October 27 in a special meeting of Northland Pioneer College’s (NPC’s) District Governing Board, Jeanne Swarthout, Ph.D., was appointed as NPC’s interim president. She will take over the position previously held by prior president Mark Vest who resigned earlier this month.
Dr. Swarthout has a long history with the college, having previously served as NPC’s Dean of Liberal Arts followed by Executive Dean, Academic Vice President, then 11 years as president. She will come out of retirement to fill the position until a permanent replacement is selected.
“This is not an easy time for the college, and certainly was not in my game plan a couple of weeks ago but I hope I can bring a sense of cohesion, as I know this has been a little disruptive to everyone at the college, as they go forward,” said Swarthout. “Hopefully we can move together in a really positive direction in finding a new president.”
The board was unanimous in their decision to appoint Dr. Swarthout and expressed gratitude for the invaluable input from NPC’s Leadership Council and the entire NPC community for their guidance in selecting an interim president.
Board member Everett Robinson indicated that it was a difficult decision, but that he believed, “Dr. Swarthout will keep this ship afloat and headed in the right direction” during the interim period. “We appreciate the support as we move forward to find a permanent president,” he concludes.
The college will begin its search to fill the permanent position in the coming months.