HARRISBURG – Ronald R. Young, provost and vice president of academic affairs and enrollment management, has been named HACC’s interim president. He will serve in that role until the board appoints a new president.
Young previously served as interim president when former President Edna Baehre, Ph.D., took a six-week sabbatical in 2008.
Young is being assisted in that role by the college’s executive cabinet which includes an executive leadership team made up of George Franklin, vice president of finance and college resources; Nancy Rockey, vice president of college development; Meredith Tulli, vice president of human resources and organizational development; and Patrick Early, vice president of public relations and marketing.
In addition, Young will be assisted in his duties in academic affairs by the appointment of Cynthia Doherty, Ph.D., as interim vice president of academic affairs. Doherty is currently dean of administrative services in academic affairs.
“We have a very active and involved board and an excellent leadership team in place,” said Donald Schell, chairman of the board of trustees. “While we will certainly miss Dr. Baehre’s leadership, the college is well-prepared to operate without missing a beat as we search for a new president.”
Baehre resigned July 31 after 13 years as HACC’s president to become president at Napa Valley College.
Young has been employed at the college for more than 30 years, starting as a faculty member and rising to dean and then to vice president of academic affairs. Young is a HACC graduate having earned his associate in science degree in mathematics at HACC in 1967 before completing a bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 1969 and a master’s degree in computer science in 1985, both at Shippensburg University, and a master’s degree in education in mathematics/secondary education in 1973 from Penn State University.
The veteran educator began his career at the William Penn Campus of the Harrisburg School District as mathematics instructor and athletic director from 1969-71. He joined HACC as a professor of mathematics and computer science in 1971, serving on and chairing numerous faculty committees for the next two decades. In 1985, he served as interim dean of mathematics, engineering and technology before returning to the classroom from 1986-89.
Young was dean of mathematics, engineering and technologies from 1989-99. During that decade, he provided academic leadership for math, computer science, and engineering transfer programs plus 30 technology career programs. He developed and supported Summer Institutes and annual academic contests.
When the college restructured academic divisions in 1999, Young became dean of business, engineering and technologies until 2004. During this period, he provided academic leadership for 37 transfer and career programs in business, industrial technologies, engineering technologies and engineering. He also developed and managed the college’s industrial technology center.
In addition, from 1998-2000, Young managed implementation of an integrated administrative system college wide to address Y2K issues, and later co-managed implementation of a staff and student online version of the system.
In 2004, he became acting vice president of academic affairs and enrollment management, taking the title in 2005 until being named to his current role. In this capacity, he was responsible for all academic divisions, Institutional Research, the Performing Artist Series, Institutional Articulations, and Tech Prep/College in the High School.
