The Salt Lake Community College Presidential Search Committee has narrowed down the search for the college’s next president to three finalists and made these recommendations known to the Utah Board of Higher Education, the school announced Wednesday.
The three finalists are Joshua D. Baker, Dean G. McCurdy, and Gregory F. Peterson. This selection follows Deneece G. Huftalin’s announcement in November that she would step down as SLCC president this June after 10 years. The SLCC Presidential Search Committee — composed of school employees, students, alumni and community members — has been conducting a national search for the next president since December.
“Our committee diligently evaluated an incredibly strong and talented applicant pool, and the three finalists each stood out as exceptional based on their community college leadership experience,” Brady Southwick, chair of the SLCC Board of Trustees, said in a press release. “We are excited for the positive impact the next president will make at SLCC and in the Utah System of Higher Education.”
Baker currently serves as president of Mountwest Community and Technical College; McCurdy as senior vice president for academic affairs and provost at Ivy Tech Community College; and Peterson as president of Chandler-Gilbert Community College. SLCC has published full bios for each candidate on its website.
The finalists will participate in three separate public forums on Wednesday, April 24, in room TB 104 of the Rampton Technology building on the Taylorsville Redwood campus. SLCC community members and the public are invited to ask questions. The schedule is as follows:
- Joshua D. Baker: 1–1:45 p.m.
- Gregory F. Peterson: 2–2:45 p.m.
- Dean G. McCurdy: 3–3:45 p.m.
Those who cannot attend the forums in person will have the option to tune in online via Zoom. Anyone can submit questions ahead of time by emailing slccpresidentsearch@ushe.edu with the subject line, Question for the Public Forum. The deadline for submitting forum questions is Tuesday, April 23, at 5 p.m.
SLCC says a final appointment from the Utah Board of Higher Education is expected on April 26 during a public meeting at the Taylorsville Redwood campus. However, the school notes that the board may choose to convene at another date.
