CC president in running for Odessa position

Clarendon College President Myles Shelton confirmed Monday that he is a candidate for the presidency of Odessa College.

“It’s an interesting opportunity at a bigger school in a bigger community,” Shelton said.

Odessa’s search committee contacted Shelton and asked him to participate in their application process.

“I wasn’t looking; they came to me,” Shelton said. “In fact, I didn’t respond to their first request.”

With an enrollment of 5,000 students, Odessa is about five times bigger than CC. Odessa’s president, Vance Gipson, is retiring, Shelton said.

The Odessa Board of Regents last Tuesday approved Shelton as one of three finalists to succeed Gipson. New Mexico Junior College President Steve McCleery and Western Texas College President Greg Williams are also finalists.

The interview process will be set up in September, and Shelton says he thinks a decision will be made in the next 30 to 45 days.

“We’ll just have to see who is the best fit for the job,” he said.

Shelton has led Clarendon College since 1999.