Three finalists named in TC3 presidential search

Tompkins Cortland Community College (photo provided)

DRYDEN, N.Y. — On behalf of the Tompkins Cortland Community College Board of Trustees, Chair of the Board Elizabeth Burns has released the names of the three finalists for the position of President of the College. Each of the three finalists will visit campus for two days of interviews and meetings with the community. The plan is to present a final candidate to the SUNY Board of Trustees for approval in May.

The three finalists:

Dr. Orinthia Montague is currently the Vice President of Student Affairs and Chief Diversity Officer at Normandale Community College in Bloomington, Minnesota, where she previously served as Dean of Students.  Prior to that, she served as Assistant Provost and Associate Provost at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.  She has been awarded a B.A. from Truman State University, an M.A. from Lindenwood University, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.  Dr. Montague will be on campus March 6 and 7.

Dr. Seamus Reilly is Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Parkland College in Illinois, which he has previously served as a faculty member, department chair, and soccer coach.  He earned both a B.A. and an M.A. from University College, Dublin, and a Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of Illinois.  He has also taught at the University of Illinois, Bradley University, and two universities in Spain.  Dr. Reilly will be on campus March 9 and 10.

Dr. Peter Soscia is Campus Executive and Senior Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs at Orange County Community College, where he is responsible for the Newburgh, New York campus.  He has served as Associate Dean of Instruction at Genesee Community College and as a Business and Social Sciences Lecturer at each of these institutions.  Prior to that, he had a long career in business, working for both Eastman Kodak and Bausch and Lomb.  He has earned a B.S. from St. John Fisher College, and M.B.A. from the University of Rochester, and an Ed.D. from Northeastern University.  Dr. Soscia will be on campus March 13 and 14.

On July 21, 2016, President Carl Haynes announced his intention to retire on August 31, 2017. The third president in the College’s history, he will retire as the longest-serving president, having been in that office for 23 of his 48 years at the College.