Atlanta — April 4, 2001

Three finalists for president of Floyd College were announced today by the Board of Regents and Chancellor Stephen R. Portch.

The finalists, in alphabetical order, are as follows:

• Dr. Bryan K. Blanchard, executive vice president and provost, University of Maine at Augusta, Maine. Blanchard served as vice president for academic affairs at Broome Community College, State University of New York, Binghamton, New York, from 1989-1997; as dean of academic affairs at Greenfield Community College, Greenfield, Maine, 1985-1989; and in several senior positions at the Community College of Rhode Island, 1979-1985. From 1977-1979, Blanchard was executive director of the Commission on the Mission, Financing and Governance of the County Colleges, State of New Jersey. During his career, Blanchard has served as a faculty member and as a consultant, as well as in the U.S. Coast Guard. He earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in history from Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and a doctorate in higher education from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Blanchard also was a fellow with the National Endowment for the Humanities, with the Department of History at the University of Minnesota.

• Dr. John R. Pierce, provost of the Lawrenceville Campus of Georgia Perimeter College, Decatur, Georgia. In addition to serving as provost since 1996, Pierce also served between 1994 and 1999 as the interim director of the Gwinnett University System Center. His experience with Georgia Perimeter dates back to 1977, when he became business manager, and has included a wide range of administrative duties, including more recently as campus administrative dean (1988-1996), and registrar and campus coordinator of admissions (1986-1988). Prior to Georgia Perimeter, Pierce worked at Georgia State University between 1973 and 1977, and was in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves from 1969-1974. Pierce earned all his higher education degrees from Georgia State University, including a bachelor’s in business administration, a masters of education and a doctorate in educational leadership.

• Dr. Ronald A. Wood, president of Minnesota West Community and Technical College in Granite Falls, Minnesota. Wood has 29 years of experience as a faculty member and senior administrator. In addition to his current position, Wood served as the chief academic officer at Laramie County Community College, Cheyenne, Wyoming, from 1994-1998, and in faculty and administrative positions at Frederick Community College and Hood College, both in Frederick, Maryland, between 1976 and 1994. He also taught at St. Louis University and Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Wood earned his bachelor of arts degree in mathematics and economics from Western Maryland College, Westminster, Maryland; his master’s in economics from Washington University; and his doctorate in consumer economics from the University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland. All three finalists have been active on campus, regional and national committees.

The Board of Regents is expected to make the appointment at its April meeting.

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