One of four candidates for Clark College president withdraws

One of the four candidates for Clark College president has dropped out.

Joaquin Martinez, district vice provost of institutional effectiveness at Miami Dade College, cited personal reasons in removing his name from the list of potential hires.

Candidate Karin Edwards, president of Portland Community College’s Cascade Campus, is at Clark College this week for interviews. She’ll host a public forum from noon to 1 p.m. today in the Foster Hall Auditorium on campus, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way.

Candidate Sara Thompson Tweedy, vice president of student access, involvement and success at the State University of New York Westchester Community College, was on campus earlier this week.

Candidate Lamata Mitchell, vice president of instruction and academic operations at Pima Community College in Tucson, Ariz., will be on-site for a student forum from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Foster Hall Auditorium, and for a public forum from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday in the same location.

The candidates’ resumes and biographies are available at Clark College’s website, www.clark.edu/presidential-search.

“We are pleased to have a slate of highly qualified candidates who are excited about the opportunity to lead Clark College into the next decade,” said Paul Speer, the college trustee leading the search process.

Clark College is seeking a new president following the 2019 retirement of Bob Knight, who retired in the midst of an investigation into what the Board of Trustees determined was his inappropriate, discriminatory behavior against women and people of color during his tenure. Knight worked at Clark College for 15 years, 13 as its president. Knight was remembered at his retirement event as contributing to the growth of campuses and degree programs at the Vancouver community college.

The college is slated to select a new president by March.