Lone Star College chooses 5 candidates for chancellor

The Lone Star College board of trustees selected five final candidates to potentially replace outgoing Chancellor Stephen Head, who is retiring effective Aug. 1, officials announced in a news release July 2.

“Lone Star College conducted a nationwide search to identify and select candidates who are ready to lead the college and continue its focus on student success and service to the community,” LSC board Chair Michael Stoma said in the release.

The five finalists are:

• Joyce C. Ester, Normandale Community College president
• Lonnie L. Howard, former Lamar Institute of Technology president and CEO
• David Sam, Elgin Community College president and CEO
• Lee Ann Nutt, Lone Star College-Tomball president
• Mario K. Castillo, Lone Star College chief operating officer and general counsel

“All five finalists have exemplary backgrounds in higher education, and I look forward to learning more about each one,” said Jim Cain, LSC trustee for District 9 and search committee chair, in the release.

The five candidates will interview with the board, tour the college campus locations, participate in open forums and meet with constituent groups, Community Impact previously reported. The forums will be held at LSC-System Office Community Building in The Woodlands, and the forums will be livestreamed via Zoom, according to the release.

The candidates forum dates are as follows:

• July 10: Ester
• July 12: Sam and Howard
• July 17: Nutt and Castillo

Visit www.lonestar.edu/chancellor-search to view each candidate’s bio, a schedule of their campus visits and Zoom links to each systemwide forum.

Head started at LSCS in 1984, serving as president of three campuses and executive vice chancellor before becoming chancellor in 2014. He served as chancellor for eight years, according to previous reporting by Community Impact.

LSCS enlisted the services of the Association of Community College Trustees in its search, which included a nationwide search using the criteria developed by the LSC Employee Search Advisory Committee.