News

Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Two incumbents, one newcomer elected to the MCC Board of Trustees

Incumbents Esther Combs, of Crystal, and Roger Thelen, of Stanton, and newcomer Kurt Peterson, of Sidney, were elected to the Montcalm Community College Board of Trustees on Nov. 6.

A current trustee and MCC alumna, Combs was appointed to the Board in January 2017 to fill a seat vacated by Mike Williams. Williams was elected Montcalm County Sheriff in November 2016, and statute does not allow him to serve as a trustee in his role as sheriff. Combs works with the Montcalm Area Intermediate School District and is executive director and owner of The Alternative Counseling Center in Stanton. She was elected to fill the remainder of the six-year term she was appointed to and will be up for re-election in 2022.

Thelen has been a member of the Board since 2003 and currently serves as the Board treasurer. He is a retired superintendent of Central Montcalm Public Schools. Thelen was elected to a six-year term.

An MCC alumnus, Peterson An MCC alumnus, Peterson also was elected to a six-year term on the board. He owns and operates Peterson Legal Services PLC in Greenville. He replaces incumbent Carol Deuling-Ravell, of Howard City, who was initially elected to the Board in 1999 and has served as a trustee for 19 years. She is currently the Board secretary.

MCC President Bob Ferrentino said the college relies on its Board of Trustees to provide leadership and direction for the institution.

“We appreciate the years of dedicated service Carol has brought to the Board,” Ferrentino said. “She has contributed greatly to strategic planning initiatives at both the local and state levels and actively supported a variety of campus student success initiatives and technology advancements.

“As we look forward, we welcome the viewpoints Mr. Peterson will surely contribute as we continue to use our resources to best serve our students and the community,” he added.