The Blinn College Board of Trustees began the process of hiring the 15th president in its 131-year history Tuesday night.

The board authorized the College to seek and award a request for proposals (RFP) for an executive search firm to assist the board as it seeks a new district president. Dr. Harold Nolte, district president since 2011, announced Sept. 26 that he planned to retire effective Jan. 31, 2015.

Among other responsibilities, the selected firm will:

  • assist in developing a timetable.
  • assist with recruitment strategies to secure a sufficient pool of qualified and diverse candidates.
  • provide orientation/training and an overview of the search process and expectations for Presidential Search Advisory Committee members.
  • assist with the evaluation of candidates.

Upon identifying a search firm, Blinn will refine its candidate profile and advertise the position before identifying candidates.

In other business, Dr. Cynthia Griffith, vice president for instruction for technical and workforce education, presented to the board regarding the College’s technical and workforce education offerings, which include some Associate of Applied Science degree programs and associated certificate awards, Workforce Education courses and programs, workforce grants and corporate training programs.

In the presentation, she outlined the division’s long-term goals, including targeted offerings of open enrollment continuing education courses, active promotion of Blinn’s customized corporate training and the creation of new scholarships for workforce students.