MCCC conducting president search
Basktecki- Perez acting as interim president
A new interim leader is now in place for the Montgomery County Community College, and a search is underway for the next permanent leader.
Earlier this summer, MCCC announced that college President Dr. Kevin Pollock notified leadership that he intended not to renew his current contract, and he was granted permission to take a oneyear sabbatical until his current contract expires on June 30, 2020.
“I am appreciative that the board of trustees has granted me a sabbatical, and I look forward to continuing my research on community college strategies in several important areas,” said Pollock in a statement from the college.
“I am proud of the work that we have been able to accomplish over the last three years. I am confident that Montgomery County Community College will continue to thrive, and I will continue to be available to assist the college through selected special projects,” he said.
The college announced the appointment of Dr. Victoria Bastecki-Perez to act as interim president and provost of the college during the search for a permanent leader.
“The board of trustees has the utmost confidence in Dr. BasteckiPerez to lead the college during this interim period,” said Frank X. Custer, chairman of the college’s board of trustees.
Pollock had been named the fifth president of MCCC in January 2016 after previously working for six years as president of St. Clair Community College in Port Huron, Michigan, according to MediaNews Group archives.
At that time, he was offered a three-year contract starting on April 1 of that year. He replaced prior college president Karen Stout, who had held that position for 14 years until the end of the 2015 academic year.
“Dr. Pollock has made a difference during his time at Montco, especially in the areas of student success and improvements to our curriculum,” said Custer.
“We wish him well as he transitions to the next phase of his career,” he said.
Bastecki-Perez brings over 30 years of experience in higher education, including time as MCCC’s Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost since 2010, where she helped lead the college’s five academic divisions, academic support services, Center for Faculty Success, and other programs.
“The board of trustees has the
utmost confidence in Dr. Bastecki-Perez to lead the college during this interim period,” Custer said.
“During her time at MCCC she has demonstrated an unshakable devotion to the welfare
and success of our students, and is totally committed to the mission of the college,” he said.
Bastecki-Perez also serves as the college’s accreditation liaison officer for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, is the primary member on the Transfer Oversight Articulation Committee, and is involved in several regional advisory and workforce boards, according to information provided by the college. She will hold the position as the board conducts a nationwide search for a permanent president.