The Bucks County Community College Board of Trustees on Tuesday named Dr. Patrick M. Jones the school’s sixth president. He will take the helm effective July 1.
Jones, who is currently the chancellor of Penn State Schuylkill and a music professor, was reportedly the unanimous choice among three finalists, each of which visited the school in recent weeks.
“We are confident that he will lead the College forward with integrity, skill, vision, and enthusiasm,” said Thomas J. Jennings, who chairs the college’s board of trustees, in a statement Tuesday afternoon. “He is a compassionate leader, driven by results, devoted to students and well-acquainted with service to our diverse communities.”
Jones fills a president’s job that has been vacant since Dr. Felicia Ganther stepped down in December. The job attracted a field of 75 candidates that the trustees, with the help of search firm RH Perry & Associates, whittled down to just three in February.
The other two finalists were John C. Boyd, Ph.D., president, Mayland Community College and Evon Washington Walters, Ed.D., president, Northwest Region, Community College of Allegheny County.
“The college is a gem and I look forward to working with the trustees, faculty, staff, and students on our campuses and centers, and our business, community, and elected leaders in ensuring it thrives and fulfills its indispensable role as an educational, cultural, and economic engine of Bucks County,” Patrick said in the same statement.
The statement noted that Jones’ tenure as Penn State Schuylkill chancellor began in January 2019. Since then, he has reportedly overseen the addition of nursing, cybersecurity and information technology programs, led upgrades to the campus, and initiated a partnership with the local business and nonprofit community which led to the Penn State Schuylkill Co-op’s launch in fall 2020.
“I am grateful to the trustees for this opportunity to help Bucks County Community College continue to make a difference in the lives of our students and communities across the county,” said Jones.
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