SUNY Potsdam presidential candidates mum on finalists for the position

Andy Gardner, Watertown Daily Times, N.Y.
·2 min read

Jan. 6—POTSDAM — Five of the six SUNY Potsdam presidential candidates aren't saying which of them are under consideration in Albany and which of them are out of the running.

The six candidates include Shelitha W.D. Williams, vice president of student and enrollment services and the chief diversity officer at Genesee Community College; Irene Rios, Ammerman Campus CEO and executive dean for SUNY Suffolk; and Patrick M. Jones, professor of music and chancellor of Penn State Schuylkill.

Also under consideration are Edward E. Mills, vice president for student affairs and chief enrollment officer at Sacramento State College; Suzanne R. Smith, provost/vice president for academic affairs at Georgia Southwestern State University; and Jody S. Fournier, a developmental psychologist and professor of psychology who is provost and vice president of learning at Capital University.

The only one of the candidates to comment, Ms. Williams, said she was not among the three under consideration.

Ms. Rios, Mr. Jones and Ms. Smith declined to comment.

Mr. Fournier did not return phone calls and emails seeking comment. Mr. Mills also could not be reached. His automatic email reply says he's out of his office until Jan. 9.

A SUNY Potsdam spokesperson said they're not able to comment on the three under consideration in Albany. That's because SUNY has a prescribed process for picking a new college president, which is done under secrecy until SUNY's central office in Albany announces the finalist.

"SUNY will make the final announcement about our next president. We won't be able to release the names of the finalists sent to the Chancellor," said Alexandra Jacobs-Wilke, SUNY Potsdam's director of public relations.

SUNY Potsdam officials picked the three candidates under consideration in Albany, but they're not allowed to release the names.

The three will be asked to provide a presentation to the chancellor's executive leadership team followed by a question-and-answer session, which is recorded for the SUNY trustees to review as part of their materials. The SUNY Board of Trustees then votes on and announces the final appointment. A smaller subgroup of the board interviews the candidate.