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Paris Junior College has chosen Dr. Stephen Benson as its new president, the ninth since it began in 1924. They expect him to start around the beginning of June. The Association of Community College Trustees conducted the search process.
“This has been a good process from the very beginning,” said Dr. Jerry King, Interim President. “There were nearly 50 good candidates, and the board committee narrowed it down to eight, then three. The process worked.”
“I am incredibly honored to have been selected to be the next president of Paris Junior College,” said Benson. “I am fully committed to this institution’s mission and supporting the students, employees, and community.”
Dr. Benson has a twenty-seven-year career as an administrator at various higher education institutions. He came to McLennan Community College in April 2017 after serving three years as the Vice President for Business Services at Florida Gateway College in Lake City, Florida.
Before the position in Florida, Dr. Benson served as Vice President for Finance and Administration at New River Community and Technical College in Beckley, West Virginia, and as Director of Administrative Services at West Virginia Wesleyan College.
He received a Bachelor of Music Education degree from West Virginia Wesleyan College in 1997, a Master of Science in Strategic Leadership from Mountain State University in 2010, and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Keiser University in 2016.
Dr. Benson has actively engaged in professional organizations, including Community College Business Officers groups in West Virginia as the Vice President in Florida and now as the Secretary for the Texas Association of Community College Business Officers. Active in his current community, Dr. Benson has served on boards for the United Way, Creative Waco, Youth Chorus of Central Texas, McGregor Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, and church committees.
In his current role at McLennan Community College, Dr. Benson is responsible for preparing and controlling the annual budget, which exceeds $61 million, and ensuring that proper financial systems are established and maintained. He has direct responsibility for Financial Services, Purchasing/Auxiliary Services, Human Resources, Technology, Campus Safety/Police, Emergency and risk Management, Physical Plant, Admissions and Recruitment, Records and Registration, Enrollment Systems, Financial Aid, and Marketing and Communications, with over 200 staff in his division.
Directly responsible for strategic enrollment management, Dr. Benson has led the College in many innovative new initiatives that have stabilized enrollment and generated enrollment growth. Under Dr. Benson’s financial leadership, the College has added over $14 million to its unrestricted fund balance, all while enhancing the salaries and benefits of its employees by $6 million. A champion of collaboration, Dr. Benson routinely uses committees and task forces representing all employees to implement change best.
In his previous role at Florida Gateway College, Dr. Benson provided leadership for planning multiple construction projects, developing a facilities master plan, establishing a public safety office, and opening a campus-operated food service. Similarly, in his Vice President role at New River Community and Technical College, Dr. Benson was instrumental in providing leadership for separating the financial operations from Bluefield State College, which established the business office, financial aid office, and purchasing department. Dr. Benson provided the leadership for New River to expand its facilities footprint on five campuses drastically.
In addition to his professional roles in higher education, Dr. Benson has used his musical training to serve as the music director for the First United Methodist Church of Buckhannon and as the director of the Buckhannon Choral Society. He currently serves as the Music Director of Lake Shore Baptist Church in Waco. Music plays a significant role in the life of the Benson family.
Dr. Benson is married to Christy, and they have one daughter, Kiersten. Christy is the Financial Manager for MPL Corporation, a computer software company based in Buckhannon, West Virginia. Kiersten will graduate from Midway High School in Waco, Texas, this year and will attend the University of Texas in Austin this fall to study chemistry.