Westmoreland County Community College names interim president

The former president of a Michigan community college will serve as interim president at Westmoreland County Community College while trustees continue the search for permanent leadership.

Ohio native David Devier retired last year after serving a decade as president at Glen Oaks Community College in Michigan. He previously worked as a vice president at Clark State College at Ohio, and held dean positions at several Ohio community colleges.

Devier came to the campus by way of The Registry, a firm that vets senior higher education leaders to fill roles at schools such as WCCC.

“I’d signed up with The Registry about six months prior to retiring,” said Devier, 71, of Ada, Ohio. “I’m the type of person who has trouble quitting.”

Devier will be the third leader at the school based in Hempfield in the past eight months. Tuesday Stanley, who served as WCCC’s president for the past decade, resigned last summer. Academic affairs Vice President Kristy Bishop then took on the role of interim president, but recently left to take a job with the Middle State Commission on Higher Education.

WCCC Board Chair Bridget Johnston said the school’s presidential search committee, which includes trustees, faculty and staff association members, and members of WCCC’s Educational Foundation and its administrative leadership team. Johnston said the school also contracted with the RPA search firm, which specializes in the placement of leadership staff for colleges and universities.

The committee studied more than 100 applications and received more than 150.

“We really want to select a president from among all of these applicants who’s most closely aligned with our vision and values,” Johnston said in a statement to TribLive.

Devier holds a doctoral degree in philosophy from Ohio State University, a master’s degree from Kent State University and a bachelor’s degree from Ohio Northern University.

WCCC officials said Devier has increased enrollment at previous schools through strategic initiatives, such as diversified programming, flexible course options and dual enrollment opportunities.

WCCC saw a dip in fall enrollment following a boost in 2023, according to figures from the school. Enrollment was 4,370 students in 2020, 4,182 in 2021, 4,171 in 2022, 4,275 in 2023, and 3,994 in 2024.

“I’m not going to be here long enough to do much with enrollment,” Devier said. “However, one of the successes I’ve had in growing enrollment elsewhere has been focusing on dual enrollment for high school students.”

Dual enrollment allows high school students to take — and receive credit for — college-level classes. Earlier this month, Gov. Josh Shapiro announced an open application period for $14 million in state grant funding specifically aimed at fostering more dual enrollment across the state.

“We’re pursuing that grant the state is offering,” Devier said. “Right now in Pennsylvania, dual enrollment costs are paid by parents. In Michigan and Ohio, it’s paid by the state. … I think that’s something Pennsylvania is going to push ahead with, and WCCC will be able to jump on that.”

The school’s trustees are excited to work with Devier.

“We are very pleased that Dr. Devier has joined Westmoreland as we continue to search for our new president,” said Bridget Johnston, chair for the board of trustees. “We are confident that he will bring his expertise to Westmoreland during this time of transition.”

During Stanley’s tenure, the college completed an addition to its Science Innovation Center, which includes biology labs to support the school’s health care programs and the associate in science degree.

That was followed by a three-phase renovation of the Student Achievement Center (formerly Founders Hall). The building houses the one-stop Eberly Enrollment Center, study spaces and a library.

In the final phase, the center became home to a new Career Connections Center, an expanded Tutoring and Learning Services Center, and the creation of the Event Center at Westmoreland, a rental space for meetings, conferences and private events.