Lower Columbia College puts off presidential search for a year
The Lower Columbia College Board of Trustees voted during its regular meeting Wednesday to postpone the search for a new president to July 2027.
If the search goes well, the expected start date for the new president is July 2028.
Kristen Finnel
Kristen Finnel
The board plans to vote to extend interim President Kristen Finnel's contract at its June 10 meeting. Her contract is currently scheduled to end Aug. 31.
Human Resources Director Samantha Orth presented a rough timeline for the search and discussed the pros and cons of hiring a search firm, conducting an in-house search or using a hybrid model.
Search timeline
No formal timeline has been set, but Orth said the plan is for LCC to put out a request for proposals and select a search firm, if the board decides to hire one, in summer 2027. That fall, LCC plans to host listening sessions related to the search.
The job posting is expected to go live in November or December 2027, Orth said.
The first round of candidate interviews is planned for January 2028. The final applicants will visit LCC for in-person interviews before a short list of finalists is selected.
Orth recommended that members of the search team visit the finalists' current campuses in spring 2028 to interview their coworkers or supervisors.
Is a search firm needed?
LCC used a search firm during its previous presidential search, but the board is considering whether it could save money by either not hiring a search firm this time or implementing a hybrid model where the human relations department does some of the work.
The cost of hiring a search firm varies, and might be anywhere between $30,000 and $100,000, Orth said.
Putting out a request for proposals and selecting a firm would also add time to the search process, she said. However, a search firm would provide expertise and be able to act as an objective third party.
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Having LCC's HR department handle the entire search would be faster and cheaper, but it does not have the same national reach to look for new candidates. It could also be perceived as biased, Orth said.
A hybrid process could bring positives from both models, but not all search firms offer that kind of customization. The issue of appearing biased also still applies.
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This story was originally published May 23, 2026 at 4:20 AM.