Austin Community College names sole finalist for new chancellor

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin Community College may be getting a new chancellor after a months-long search. The ACC Board of Trustees recently named Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart as the sole finalist for the position.

If appointed, Lowery-Hart would become the ninth Chancellor of the Austin Community College District. He replaces the current Chancellor Dr. Richard M. Rhodes, who announced his retirement in January.

Lowery-Hart was chosen out of three finalists, who were named in June. He currently serves as the president of Amarillo College in Amarillo, Texas and has been in that position since 2014.

“I’m honored and thrilled and overwhelmed. Community colleges are the place of innovation, and ACC is one of the premier districts in the country. I think the talent and resources exist here to do something truly magical,” Lowery-Hart expressed in a statement. “I look forward to engaging with faculty and staff to explore the next phase of innovation. That’s my passion. It’s why I’m in this work and ultimately, what I look forward to bringing to ACC.”

Lowery-Hart said in an interview with KXAN he thinks he and ACC are "made for each other."

"I think when you look at the talent and resources that ACC has and the reform agenda that I've executed in my previous institutions, I think we're made for each other, and I'm excited about the future," he said.