President is selected for SLCC

The wait is finally over. After a two-year search, the State Board of Regents announced Monday that Cynthia A. Bioteau will be the seventh president of Salt Lake Community College.

Bioteau, a college administrator in North Carolina, says she wants to make SLCC "the community's college like never before."

Regent Bonnie Jean Beesley, chairwoman of the search committee, described Bioteau as a "strong leader" with a firm knowledge of the community college mission.

"I believe you will find her to be personable," Beesley said. "She also has been called tough as nails, so be careful."

The announcement triggered a standing ovation at the college's Redwood campus. Bioteau shook hands with some regents and hugged others as she entered the room, accompanied by her husband, Frank.

When she takes her post sometime before the fall semester, Bioteau will be the first woman president of SLCC and the third woman president of a higher-education institution in Utah.

Bioteau currently serves as vice president for instruction and chief academic officer of Forsyth Technical Community College in North Carolina. She will lead SLCC's more than 25,000 students at 11 locations.

"It has definitely been worth the wait," Beesley said.

The search started in 2003 after former president H. Lynn Cundiff left for the private sector. Retired SLCC administrator Judd Morgan has served as interim president.

Bioteau's selection comes after an extensive national search of 63 candidates from 30 states and two foreign countries. Bioteau said she's "delighted" to be the college's first woman president but that she doesn't identify her leadership style as "female or male."

"I've been the first female in a lot of different venues," she said. "I look forward to grabbing challenges with zest."

Bioteau described SLCC as "by far one of the top 10" community colleges in the nation. She said her prior work to develop fields such as biotechnology and nanotechnology will help her achieve SLCC's economic development goals.

David G. Thomas, chairman of the SLCC Board of Trustees, said the college is recognized as a "driver for economic development," adding that Bioteau's appointment will enhance that role.

"I see the appointment of Dr. Bioteau as something that is going to elevate us to a different level we didn't think possible," he said.