FREMONT - Terra State Community College's board of trustees has selected a new president.
Jerome Webster, vice president for student and administrative affairs, is to replace President Marsha Bordner, who is retiring effective June 30. He is to have a three-year contract, starting July 1, with an annual salary of $150,000.
Webster said he is humbled and honored to be able to serve the board, college, students, community, alumni and business community in the role of president. He said he realizes he has large shoes to fill when he looks at the great leadership Bordner provided Terra.
"I think there's so much potential here at Terra," he said.
According to a release from Terra, Webster was a residence hall director and housing coordinator at Olivet College and a human resources associate at Standard Federal Bank; served in various positions in housing at University of Toledo; and served as dean of student services at Terra, dean of students at Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, Mich., and dean of student affairs at Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland.
Webster, who lives in Fremont and is to be Terra's sixth president, has been the vice president for student and administrative affairs since August 2008.
As Terra's president, Webster is to provide leadership for the school's Vision 2016 Strategic Plan, which officials started in January.
"It is a great plan. ... It's a challenging plan. We're going to work very diligently," he said.
Webster said it has five goals, about 20 initiatives and more than 110 action items calling for the college to respond to and embrace opportunities presented in serving students in the region. Officials look to continue to enhance what Terra offers them, he said.
"Our vision is dynamic transformation through innovation, collaboration and leadership," he said.
Webster said the faculty is dedicated in its work to providing quality academic programs, and officials are focused on how they ensure students will be successful in their academic pursuits and after they achieve their academic goal.
"We're making some changes already that we are beginning to see some great progress when it comes to the success of our students," he said.
Webster said he is providing the lead for the strategic plan, but the school has a great team of faculty, staff and administrators who are behind it, believe in it and want to see it come to fruition.
"That's very exciting," he said.
