Schoolcraft College has announced three candidates as finalists for the position of president of the college after a Board of Trustees meeting on Thursday, June 11. The three finalists are:
- Dr. Glenn Cerny, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Schoolcraft College, Livonia, Michigan
- Dr. Paul R. Watson II, Vice President of Instruction of Kellogg Community College, Battle Creek, Michigan
- Dr. Sherry Zylka, President and CEO of Big Sandy Community and Technical College, Prestonsburg, Kentucky
“We had an extraordinary, diverse pool of qualified candidates interested in the position of President of Schoolcraft College,” said Brian D. Broderick, Chair of Schoolcraft College’s Board of Trustees and leader of the search committee for the school’s next president. “A rigorous, extensive screening and interview process led us to these three finalists. We are excited to introduce them to the Schoolcraft College community.”
Details are still being finalized, but the goal is to bring each finalist to campus individually the week of June 22. Schoolcraft College employees, students and community members will have the opportunity to engage with each candidate through video conferences.
“As part of our due diligence, we will conduct a second round of interviews and solicit feedback from college stakeholders and the community as we work to find the best leader to lead Schoolcraft College as we begin our next chapter,” Broderick said. “We remain committed to our timeline of having a new president in place later this summer.”
Dr. Conway A. Jeffress, who led Schoolcraft College to unprecedented growth in enrollment and physical size during his tenure as president, announced on Jan. 10 that he is retiring. Jeffress has served as president of the two-year community college since July of 2001.
Please go here for the Schoolcraft College presidential search website.
Brief bios of each finalist:
Dr. Glenn Cerny has spent nearly his entire career in higher education in the business services area. Before coming to Schoolcraft College in 2010, Cerny had worked for North Central Michigan College, Western Governors University in Salt Lake City, Lansing Community College and the University of Michigan. Cerny and his team are responsible for Schoolcraft College’s $90 million budget.
Dr. Paul R. Watson II has 13 years of teaching experience at the secondary and post-secondary levels, plus another seven years of experience as an administrative leader in higher education. He was at Pennsylvania College of Technology from 2011 to 2018 as a director, assistant dean and dean. Prior to that, he was a high school math teacher in Jefferson, New York, and an assistant professor of mathematics at Houghton College in Houghton, New York.
Dr. Sherry Zylka began her lifelong career in community colleges as a student, earning two associate degrees from Schoolcraft College, and has held numerous higher education leadership positions. After completing her coursework, she transferred to the University of Michigan, earning a Bachelor of Science degree. Prior to her position at Big Sandy Community and Technical College, she was provost of Wayne County Community College District in Detroit.
Schoolcraft College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The HLC is a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S Department of Education that accredits degree-granting post-secondary educational institutions. This accreditation means that credits students earn will transfer to other reputable institutions of higher learning.
Further, all Schoolcraft College programs that have independent accreditation have been accredited by those respective professional organizations.
“Dr. Jeffress created an incredible era at Schoolcraft College and set the stage for continued success,” Broderick said. “We expect our next president to build on that success as an outstanding educator, excellent communicator with faculty, students and staff, and thoughtful collaborator with local, area and state community and business leaders, positioning Schoolcraft College for even greater success in the coming years.”