Watch video interviews of three candidates for next president at John Wood Community College

QUINCY — John Wood Community College recently completed interviews of three people selected as finalists to be the school’s next president. 

The three men were in Quincy in earlier this month for in-person interviews and public forums. One of them will succeed Mike Elbe, who has served as president since 2014. Elbe is staying on through December and his successor is expected to start in January 2023. 

The finalists are:

Jim Lemerond

Jim Lemerond has served as the vice president of instruction at Lakeshore Technical College in Cleveland, Wisc., since 2018. He previously served as the dean of business, technology and hospitality and as the dean of health and human services. He has taught radiography at LTC in a full-time and adjunct capacity. He has been employed full-time by the college since 2007 and served as an adjunct faculty from 2001-03. He has served in roles at other colleges and in the field at hospitals as a radiography technician. Lemerond received his doctorate in educational leadership from the University of the Cumberlands. 

Read Lemerond’s resume here.

Bryan Renfro

Bryan Renfro currently works as the vice president of academic instruction at Paris Junior College in Paris, Texas. He previously served in various academic affairs leadership roles, such as the associate vice provost of academic and workforce affairs at Tyler Junior College in Tyler, Texas. He also was the dean of business and public services at Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo, Iowa. He has taught courses in anthropology, criminal justice and education. He has a master’s degree in anthropology from the University of Arkansas and a doctorate from Iowa State University in higher education administration with an emphasis in community college leadership.

Read Renfro’s resume here.

Jerry Thomas

Jerry Thomas has served as the vice president for student affairs and enrollment management at National Park College in Hot Springs, Ark., since 2016. He previously was the assistant vice president for student affairs at Thomas Edison State University in Trenton, N.J., from 2013-15. During his employment at Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia, Ark., from 1993-2013, he served in various student affairs positions and maintained an adjunct instructor position teaching U.S. history courses. Thomas has a doctorate in educational administration from Texas A&M University-Commerce.

Read Thomas’s resume here.

Each candidate spent parts of two days visiting each of the JWCC campuses.