For immediate release — June 7, 2011
(DALLAS) — Members of the Dallas County Community College District’s board of trustees approved the appointment of two new college presidents recommended by Dr. Wright Lassiter Jr., DCCCD’s chancellor, during the group’s regular monthly meeting today. Dr. Thom Chesney was named president of Brookhaven College (located in Farmers Branch/Dallas), effective Aug. 15, 2011, and Dr. Jean Conway was named president of Eastfield College in Mesquite, effective June 8, 2011.
Chesney currently serves as associate provost for student success and an associate professor of arts and humanities at the University of Texas at Dallas. Conway is interim president at Eastfield.
“After completing a very extensive search process for the selection of presidents for Brookhaven and Eastfield colleges, I am extremely pleased to receive the approval of our board of trustees for Dr. Chesney and Dr. Conway,” said Lassiter. “We welcome Dr. Chesney as a new member of the DCCCD family and congratulate Dr. Conway as she moves from interim president to her new position. I also wish to thank members of both search committees who served well and who were diligent in their pursuit of the best candidates for Brookhaven and Eastfield colleges.”
Chesney, who previously was district vice president for academic affairs as well as provost and district dean of communications and humanities at Collin County Community College District, also served as assistant dean of integrated studies for the Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, Pa., and director of freshman advising/freshman seminar and full-time faculty at Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth. Chesney earned a doctorate in English literature from Florida State University; a master’s degree in creative writing from Mankato State University (Minn.); and a bachelor’s degree in Spanish/business from Washington University in St. Louis.
“I am both honored and energized by my appointment as Brookhaven College’s next president. I was immediately drawn to the position having witnessed, directly and indirectly, the outstanding people and programs at the college,” said Chesney. “Brookhaven’s success-oriented mission and values, encouragement of lifelong learning, and an emphasis on service to the community and world align neatly with my personal experience, education and my desire to serve alongside colleagues and students who possess high expectations and the ambition to achieve them.”