Good morning,

We are excited to share additional details regarding two opportunities for community participation are outlined below. Updated information is also available on the presidential transition webpage.

Search Committee

The search committee will include the following representatives. Additional information will come from constituency group leaders for those who would like to be considered for the committee.

• Board member (3)
• Trustee Emeritus
• TFO Representative (2)
• Part-time Faculty Representative
• Student
• Vice President
• ASO Member – not reporting to the President
• PSSO Member – support staff
• PSSO Member – professional staff
• Foundation Board member
• Community partner (4) 

Listening Sessions

RH Perry & Associates, the executive search firm supporting AACC in the search for our new president, is asking for your participation in one of the scheduled listening sessions on April 13 and 14 in CALT 107.  If you cannot attend with your constituency group, please feel free to attend an open forum. If you’re unable to attend any session or have additional thoughts to share, please complete the survey. The survey data will go directly to RH Perry.  These sessions will provide important information that will help identify and attract outstanding presidential candidates.

Monday,  April 13, 2026                     

9:00-9:45: AMIL (via Zoom)

12-12:45: Open Forum

2:30-3:15: ASO

3:30-4:15: Part-time Faculty

Tuesday, April 14, 2026                      

9:00-9:45: President's Cabinet

10-10:45: Student Leaders

11-11:45: PSSO

2:15-3:00 TFO

3:15-4:15: Open Forum

Dr. Joanne Bashford and Ms. Charlene Newkirk will use your valuable, unique and insightful perspectives to help create an accurate executive search profile that serves as the blueprint for marketing this position and recruiting and evaluating candidates.

Interim President

As the board continues to focus on the presidential search process, a separate process for selection of an interim president continues and will be announced later in the spring or early summer.=

Thank you for your participation,
Nadine Chien, Ph.D., Esq

Good morning,

On behalf of the board of trustees, I am writing to share an update on the presidential search process.

At last night’s meeting, the board heard a presentation from the selected presidential search firm, RH Perry & Associates. The presenters, former college presidents Dr. Joanne Bashford and Charline Newkirk, will be the lead consultants for the search. They provided a proposed timeline and key milestones Including opportunities for engagement across the college community:

• The first opportunity for the community to participate will be by volunteering to serve on the search committee. Please stay tuned for details.
• The search consultants will hold in-person listening sessions on April 13 and 14. They will provide a separate digital platform to collect feedback from the community on expectations and recommendations on the core qualifications and leadership attributes needed to guide AACC forward.
• Beginning in May and running through the summer, RH Perry will accept applications so the committee can begin reviewing them at the start of the fall semester.

Please keep in mind that these dates are tentative and subject to change. The new Presidential Transition webpage will be updated regularly with announcements and information as the process advances.

We appreciate the engagement and partnership of our college community as this important work continues.

Sincerely,

Nadine Chien, Ph.D., Esq. 
Chair, Board of Trustees 

Good afternoon, 

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I would like to share an update on the presidential search process.

After reviewing all RFP responses, the Board has selected RH Perry & Associates to lead the search for our next college president. The firm will provide a brief introduction at the Feb. 24 Board meeting, which you may attend either online or in person in Cade 219 at 4 p.m.

Additional information is available on the new Presidential Transition webpage. This page will be updated regularly with news, announcements and information as the process moves forward.

While the search for the next President is underway, a parallel process to identify an interim president has also begun. I do not have further updates at this time, but I will continue to keep the college community informed as both processes advance.

Thank you for your continued support as we move forward with this important work. 

Sincerely,

Nadine Chien, Ph.D., Esq. 
Chair, Board of Trustees 

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I want to provide an update on the presidential search process.  

To ensure a fair, transparent and thorough search, the Board is engaging an external search firm. A request for proposals was issued on November 11, with submissions due December 16. 

A committee of trustees will review all proposals, interview finalists, and hopefully select the search firm by early February. I would like to thank Vice Chair Price-Jones and Trustee Ulvila for working over the holidays to review search firm proposals to meet this aggressive timeline. Once the firm is engaged, the Board will work with them to establish a clear timeline for the remainder of the search. 

I understand there are questions about the presidential transition and how the process will unfold. While this work is still in its early stages, I want to assure you the search will be inclusive and will involve a committee representing key stakeholders, including constituency groups. 

I will continue to provide regular updates to keep the college community informed as the process advances and more information becomes available. Thank you for your continued support as we move forward with this important work. 

Sincerely, 

Nadine Chien, Ph.D., Esq. 
Chair, Board of Trustees 

ARNOLD, MD, Nov. 5, 2025: Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) president Dr. Dawn Lindsay has announced her plans to retire effective June 30, 2026, concluding a distinguished tenure of more than 13 years of service to the college and community. 
 
During her presidency, Dr. Lindsay guided AACC through a period of exceptional growth, innovation, and achievement. Under her leadership, the college opened the Health and Life Sciences Building and the Clauson Center for Innovation and Skilled Trades, which expanded skilled trades programs, and celebrated the reopening of the Truxal Library, all designed to create spaces that inspire learning and foster connection. 
 
Dr. Lindsay led AACC with compassion and resilience through the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring continuity of learning and safety for students, faculty and staff. Dr. Lindsay established the college’s first Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, championed AACC’s core values, and oversaw two exceptional accreditation reviews. 
 
Under her leadership, AACC earned recognition as one of the top community colleges in the nation, received multiple Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Awards and was named among the nation’s Military Friendly Schools. The college strengthened transfer agreements statewide and nationally, expanded Early College Access Programs, and deepened its engagement with partners such as the Aspen Institute. She is a member of the board of directors for the League for Innovation in the Community College and a board member of the American Association of Community Colleges, which she serves as a member of the Community College Advancement Committee, and member of the National Council of Instructional Administrators. 
 
Most recently, Dr. Lindsay was inducted into the Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce Business Hall of Fame for her lasting contributions to education and community development. 
 
Dr. Lindsay shared the following statement with the college community: 
 
“It has been an honor and privilege to serve alongside such an exceptional community of professionals. The dedication, innovation, and unwavering commitment of our faculty and staff to student success have been a constant source of inspiration. Together, we have embraced challenges and opportunities with integrity and creativity, always striving to advance the mission of this remarkable college.” 
 
Anne Arundel Community College Board Chair Nadine Chien, Ph.D., Esq. stated “The Board of Trustees expresses our deepest gratitude for Dr. Lindsay's many years of visionary leadership and service to Anne Arundel Community College,” and added, “The Board is committed to a fair, transparent, and inclusive search for our next president, supported by an external search firm.” 

Dear Colleagues,

When I arrived at Anne Arundel Community College in the fall of 2012, I made a personal and professional commitment that AACC would be the institution where I would ultimately conclude my career. After much reflection, I have decided that I will retire from AACC effective June 30, 2026.

Details regarding the search for a new president will be shared in the coming weeks. In the meantime, I look forward to continuing our important work over the remaining months as we ensure our students achieve their goals.

It has been an honor and privilege to serve alongside such an exceptional community of professionals. The dedication, innovation, and unwavering commitment of our faculty and staff to student success have been a constant source of inspiration. Together, we have embraced challenges and opportunities with integrity and creativity, always striving to advance the mission of this remarkable college.

As I prepare for this next chapter, I do so with immense gratitude and pride. My 13 years at AACC have been among the most rewarding of my career, and I will always look back on this time with deep fondness and appreciation. I have every confidence that AACC will continue to thrive, meeting the future with the same excellence, vision, and resilience that define this outstanding institution.

With sincere thanks and warm regards,

Dawn