BRTC Encourages Faculty, Staff, Students, and Community to Attend Open Forums with Presidential Finalists

The Black River Technical College Board of Trustees invites BRTC faculty, staff, students, and members of the community to attend a public presentation from each of the three presidential finalists.  Presentations will be on April 2, 3, and 4.  Beginning each day at 3:00 p.m., the candidate will give a 15-minute presentation then answer questions from the audience for 45 minutes.  Immediately after the forum, a public reception will be held for each candidate.  All activities will take place in the Randolph County Development Center on the campus of Black River Technical College.

Each public forum will also be live-streamed on the BRTC Facebook page.  Individuals who cannot attend the presentations are invited to view the presentations live and submit questions for the candidates.  The videos will also be archived on Facebook for public viewing after the presentations have concluded.

On Tuesday, April 2, Dr. Justin Hoggard, dean of instruction at Three Rivers College in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, will begin his presentation at 3:00 p.m.  Hoggard has held teaching and numerous administrative roles at Three Rivers College over his 19-year career.  Hoggard is responsible for academic programming and workforce development at the Poplar Bluff campus as well as at TRC’s locations in Sikeston, Kennett, and Dexter.

Hoggard holds a Bachelor of Science in social science education, a Masters of Arts in history, a Specialist in Community College Teaching from Arkansas State University, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from William Woods University.  He has recently been accepted as a peer reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission. Hoggard is a long-time resident of Paragould where he lives with his wife Lori. They have three children, Dylan, Zachary, and Lilly.

On Wednesday, April 3, Dr. Martin Eggensperger, vice chancellor for academics at ASU-Mountain Home in Mountain Home will begin his presentation at 3:00 p.m.  Eggensperger previously served as mathematics faculty, dean then division chair of general studies, and associate vice president for institutional effectiveness at Southeast Arkansas College.  At College of the Ouachitas, Eggensperger served as vice president for instruction and as the board-appointed interim president.  At ASU-Mountain Home, he has led HLC reaccreditation efforts, guided strategic planning, and leads all academic programming.

Eggensperger earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from University of Central Arkansas, and his master’s and Ph.D. in applied mathematics from University of Arkansas at Little Rock.  Eggensperger is a native of Randolph County and a graduate of Maynard High School.  He and his wife Jennifer have two children, Zoe and Ben.

On Thursday, April 4, Dr. Chris Boyett, associate vice president of academic affairs at Rhodes State College in Lima, Ohio, will begin his presentation at 3:00 p.m.  Boyett was faculty of mathematics and director of distance learning at Arkansas State University-Beebe. He served as vice chancellor for Arkansas State University-Heber Springs, a campus of ASU-Beebe, managing operations.  Additionally, Boyett worked to make advanced degrees from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro available on the ASU-Beebe campus.

Throughout his career in higher education, Boyett has been in numerous leadership positions at his institutions and in community organizations such as Rotary.  Boyett earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics at the University of Arkansas and a Specialist in Community College Teaching and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Arkansas State University.  Boyett is married to Meleah and they have three children, Bethany, Brunson, and Bennett.

For more information about the presidential selection process, the position, or the public forums, contact Julie Edington at (870) 248-4032 or email her at Julie.Edington@blackrivertech.edu.