ONTARIO — Treasure Valley Community College administrators have hired a search firm to help find an executive director for the college’s nursing and allied health program.
Eddie Alves, TVCC vice president of academic affairs, said the college posted the vacancy on the school’s website a couple of months ago after the program’s previous director, Jill Humble, retired earlier this year. However, Alves said the college has yet to receive applications from qualified candidates.
Until then, faculty member Mara Poynter will continue to serve as interim program director. Poynter has been the interim director since March.
The search firm, Alves said, is the same company the college used to hire Humble after then-director Paulla Mizer stepped down in 2019 after just three months on the job. In her resignation letter, Mizer wrote that state officials advised her they intended to end the program. In addition, Mizer said college administrators had not supported her.
State and college officials denied her claims. Nonetheless, Mizer’s allegations and a flurry of staff resignations sent the program into turmoil.
However, Alves said since then, TVCC has rebuilt the program.
“With bad things,” Alves said, “good things happen out of them.”
He said that in addition to bringing in Humble, the college hired four full-time nursing instructors and new campus culture grew out of that.
“(The faculty members) are all in their fourth year at TVCC now and they have all done an excellent job and we’re super excited to have them,” Alves said.
According to TVCC’s job posting, the new director, who will take over the program with 33 students, must hold a master’s degree in nursing and have no less than five years of nursing experience.
Alves said the Oregon State Board of Nursing primarily sets the requirements for the post.
The position, advertised as a 10-month contract, pays an annual salary of $91,800.
The challenge in getting qualified staff for the program, Alves said, is that registered nurses are in high demand, given the statewide shortage.
“If you’re in demand and you’re making great money,” Alves said, “that makes it really challenging for us to find qualified staff.”
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