GCC hires two vice presidents

By CHARITY SMITH

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Ironwood — The Gogebic Community College Board of Trustees hired two vice presidents at a special meeting Thursday morning, filling positions in its upper level administration. Both are expected to begin their duties in May.

Chad Lashua, of Tomahawk, Wisconsin, was hired as the new vice president of business services. He is the director of business services at Nicolet Area Technical College in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, where he has held various business-related roles since 2010. He has an additional 10 years of experience in business and industry fields.

Lashua holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Western Governors University, a bachelor’s degree in management from Upper Iowa University and an associate degree in supervisory management from Northcentral Technical College in Wausau, Wisconsin.

According to GGC officials, Lashua is active in community service. He is the president of the Lincoln County 4-H Club, and the former president of the Tomahawk figure skating club. He received the Distinguished Service Award twice at Nicolet. He listed his interests as including hunting, fishing, camping, and traveling with his family. Lashua will start May 9.

“I’m excited by the idea of working in a rural setting and for a college that is going bold with any endeavor they do and the premier provider of a quality two-year education in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula,” Lashua said in his letter of interest to the college.

The board also approved the hire of Jennifer Sabourin, of Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, as the new vice president of student services and athletics. She serves as the assistant director of the division of student affairs and director of student conduct at Pennsylvania State University, Altoona Campus. She has held various roles in student services and athletics since 2001.

Sabourin holds a doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies from Iowa State University, a master’s degree in education, a bachelor’s degree from Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, and an associate degree from Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa.

Sabourin is a recipient of the Ray Shaw Community Advocate Award and is a member of the Indian Hills Community College Athletic Hall of Fame. According to GCC officials, Sabourin’s interests include traveling, photography, visiting national parks, outdoor hobbies such as fishing and biking, and spending time with family. Sabourin will start on May 2.

“Whether it is working to retain residential students academically or financially, or providing events and activities which engage students in a manner that reach various interests and connects students with each other outside of the classroom, I am committed to student success and the strategic advancement of the institution,” Sabourin said in her letter of interest.

Board member Sue Beals said that she feels Sabourin “will bring a lot of good things to the campus.” Board member William Malloy called her “top-notch.”

Beals expressed concern over Lashua and Sabourin being able to acquire housing, as it is not plentiful in the area. Roberta Anders, executive assistant to the president, said that she had already sent the candidates a couple of suggestions.

The positions were formerly held by Erik Guenard, who resigned as vice president of business services in October 2021; Jeanne Graham, who retired as vice president of student services in December 2020, and Mike Boerman, who resigned as director of athletics in August 2020. The college board decided to combine the director of athletics duties with the vice president of student services position.

Earlier this year, the board agreed to assign some of the duties of these two vice presidents while the positions were vacant to faculty and other staff members to relieve extra work that had landed on President George McNulty and Vice President of Academic Services David Darrow.

In other action the board approved a bid from A to Z Plumbing and Heating of Ashland, Wisconsin, to do HVAC improvements at both the Ironwood and Houghton campuses for $365,750. In their bid proposal, A to Z stated that they would be using Lindquist Electric and Keweenaw Power and Lite, LLC as subcontractors for the electrical portion of the work.