Chancellor James McCormick and members of the Board of Trustees welcomed Dr. Terrence Leas as the next president for Riverland Community College at a reception at the college Wednesday night.

Earlier in the day, the Board of Trustees approved the recommendation from McCormick for Leas' appointment.

Leas, currently the dean for student services at Yakima Valley Community College in Yakima, Wash., made the trip to Austin for the reception.

Leas will be able to draw on his experience in Yakima for his new position. That college is also a multiple-campus college and a large Hispanic population.

"I think I can bring some insight and experience that will be helpful to the college and the community," he said.

The search process put candidates through many interviews and also involved public forums in Austin, Albert Lea and Owatonna. Leas said some people refer to the forums as the "death march," but he enjoyed them.

"I came out of it energized," he said. "I was just feeding off the energy of all the people I was meeting."

Assistant Registrar Mary Kay Wilson was a member of the Riverland search committee that forwarded candidates' name on to the McCormick. She said the amount of preparation Leas put in before the interviews made him unique.

"I was really impressed with the research he did about Riverland and the community," she said. "He really went the extra step."

Leas came to Austin and Albert Lee during the first round of interviews with the committee, despite the fact that they were held near the airport in the Twin Cities.

During those visits, Leas said he got the impression that Riverland had a "dedication to students and student success."

"I knew right then that I wanted to be a part of that," he said.

Pat Johns, President of Anoka-Ramsey Community College was chairman of the search committee. He said Leas is dedicated to the community outside of the college.

"He's going to be a good fit for Riverland and the community," he said. "And not just the three cities, he also knows there are communities in-between."

Leas will take over for Interim President James R. Davis on July 14 of this year. He said his first priority is getting a feel for the area.

"I think the first order of business is to immerse myself into the college and the community I serve," he said.

Matt Merritt can be reached at 434-2214 or by e-mail at :mailto:matt.merritt@austindailyherald.com