Mike Bower, president of Lake Region State College in Devils Lake, has been named president of Owens Community College in the Toledo, Ohio, suburban community of Perrysburg Township.
The Owens board of trustees unanimously approved the appointment Wednesday. He will start the job July 1.
"I am pleased to announce and proud to welcome Dr. Mike Bower as the new president of Owens Community College," Dee Talmage, chair of the Owens Community College board of trustees, said in a news release. "Dr. Bower is highly respected among the higher education community nationwide and brings to Owens Community College and the Northwest Ohio region a strong background and extensive experience as an academic leader. Most of all, he leads with his core value of how can we best benefit the students. He is the right person to lead this academic institution and build on the college's longstanding commitment to serving our students and the surrounding communities through excellence, innovation and collaboration."
Bower, 62, has been Lake Region president since 2008. The Ohio native said he and his wife, Carol, had applied for the job because they want to relocate closer to their family.
Their son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren live in northern Indiana, about four hours from Toledo.
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"These are always tough decisions," he said. "It's because of family. It has nothing to do with the college here. The Devils Lake community has been just wonderful."
Bower came to Lake Region from Mott Community College in Flint, Mich., where he served as executive dean for continuing education at that multi-campus college with more than 10,000 students.
Owens has 16,161 students, amounting to about 9, 100 full-time equivalents, at its Toledo-area main campus in Perrysburg, and 2,800, or 1, 840 full-time equivalents, at its Findlay, Ohio, campus.
A record 2,021 students are enrolled at Lake Region this semester. That's up from 1,851 in the spring of 2011 and 1,695 in 2010.
Bower said he is proud of the collaboration that has developed between Lake Region and other institutions in the state, including partnerships with UND, North Dakota State University, Mayville State University and Minot State University.
"I've seen it here, throughout the higher education system in North Dakota," he said. "That's what we're here for, working as a team, for the students."
Reach Bonham at (701) 780-1110; (800) 477-6572, ext. 110; or send email to kbonham@gfherald.com .
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