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Highlands Today

SFCC President's Contract Renewed To 2013

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By MARC VALERO

Highlands Today

Published: January 31, 2009

AVON PARK - After giving South Florida Community College President Norm Stephens Jr., a favorable annual performance review, the college's board of trustees unanimously voted to renew his contract through June 30, 2013

"I think all the board feels he's done a tremendous job and we are very happy with the way he's directing things and leading us on," Board of Trustees Member Richard Maenpaa said Friday.

Board of Trustees Member David Leidel said, "We are very happy with Dr. Stephens and what he has done for the college and all he has brought. As we get ready to start the renovations of the auditorium up there, really no better leader to have than Dr. Stephens and his staff."

Tami Cullens, chair of the board of trustees, said the college's staff enjoys working with Stephens.

They feel like he does everything "above board," she said. He's very calm through whatever decisions have to be made. He is always looking forward for ways to improve things.

Stephens started working as the third president of SFFC on Sept. 3, 2002.

"I love what I do; this is a great institution that enjoys tremendous support from its communities," Stephens said. "I feel so blessed to be in this area working with this college.

"I appreciate very much the support of our board of trustees."

With a four-year contract extension, Stepehens summed up some of the many issues the college will be working on.

Among the projects that are under way, "the Lake Placid Center renovation is one that we are really excited about," he said. "It's going to upgrade the classrooms and give us more classroom space down there and help to offer more for that community."

Also, the college is excited about upgrading the auditorium, which is so important for the community and supports the arts and cultural enrichment, Stephens said.

"We are excited about the Career Academy and want to see that expand," he said. "I think it's going very well."

The college is moving to accelerate college work for advanced high school students in the liberal arts as well as the technical programs, Stephens said. The college is working with the Highlands, Hardee and DeSoto school districts to accomplish this.

"That's so important nowadays that high school students, who are motivated, have every opportunity to pursue their college education and get a good start on it so that when they finish high school they're already invested in completing that college education," he said.

A college education is not necessarily a liberal arts four-year degree, it can be technical training that prepares students for careers of all kinds, Stephens said. There are a host of different occupations that don't require bachelor's degrees, but do require some very specialized training.

"We also want to work very much with the business communities and part of our mission is economic development," he said. "So we want to work with employers to help them get training programs for their employees.

"We want to work with the economic development commissions of the three counties to encourage new business to come into our areas knowing that there is training here for their employees," Stephens said.

Stephen's contract renewal on Wednesday did not involve his salary, which is addressed during the college's annual budget process. His salary for July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009 is $193,633.

Board of Trustees Member Jan Brewer said "he is an invaluable asset that seems to show all the way through the staff and through the actual outcome of the college.

"He's done an absolutely fantastic job."

Highlands Today reporter Marc Valero can be reached at 863-386-5826 or mvalero@highlandstoday.com

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