Finalists for Kachemak Bay Campus Director Position
The Search Committee for the next Kachemak Bay Director is happy to announce three finalists. The three candidates will visit campus the week of April 7 and meet with several groups throughout the day. They will have a lunch with the KBC Advisory Council. Faculty and staff will have the opportunity to hear from each candidate, and there will be a public forum for each as well.
Candidate background and visit dates below, in order of visit:
April 8 - Peter A.H. Westley, Ph.D.
Faculty, staff and student session: 1:45-2:45pm, Room P202
Public session: 3:00-4:00pm, Room P202
Peter has a decade of experience as a faculty member at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences. He has managed over $4.7 million in research grants and supervised three postdoctoral researchers in his Salmonid Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Lab. He has taught various undergraduate courses, including online courses and a MOOC that reached over 2000 learners. He has learned from and trained with the First Alaskans’ Institute to host difficult dialogues and serve as an Accountability Partner. He has a strong professional and personal network in Homer.
In his application letter he said, “I am, and have always been, a facilitator of learning. The KBC Director position is an exciting change from facilitating learning directly as an instructor and student advisor to administrator.”
April 9 - Caitlin K. Walls, MFA
Faculty, staff and student session 1:15-2:15pm, Room P202
Public session: 2:30-3:30pm, Room P202
Caitlin has more than twelve years of higher education experience in teaching, leadership, and management for Iḷisaġvik College, in Utqiaġvik (Barrow) Alaska. Her teaching experience includes English, Humanities, and Communication (among others). She has secured millions of dollars in restricted and unrestricted grants when she was the College’s grant writer and has been Project Director/Principal Investigator on multiple grants totaling over $60 million. She served as the Division Chair for Liberal Arts, then the Interim Dean of Academic Affairs, before moving on to be the Executive Director of Institutional Advancement. She lives in Homer.
In her application letter she said, “I love helping remove barriers for students and seeing them succeed, while adhering to the mission of a college and always looking three-to-five years into the future.”
April 10 - Brian Partridge, MS
Faculty, staff and student session: 1:45-2:45pm, Room P202
Public session: 3:00-4:00pm, Room P202
Brian has been a KBC faculty member for more than ten years. He recently took on the role of Faculty Chair for the KBC campus and served on a wide variety of academic and student services committees, including more than ten years on the Scholarship Committee. He has taught both Psychology and Human Services courses, with extensive online teaching experience. He has significant collaborative experience, such as working with JBER and the Nenana Native Association for decommissioned building translocations. He has deep roots in the Homer community, serving as Board President for the South Peninsula Behavioral Health Services, on the MAPP Steering Committee, and as an active leader with multiple youth programs.
In his application letter he said, “Over the years, I have developed a leadership style and philosophy that has proven effective. I am a big proponent of the “Servant Leader” … that prioritizes the growth, development, and empowerment of the members of an organization. … When everyone is working to their full potential, the organization as a whole will be successful.”