Cuesta College is inviting the public to an open forum on October 11 to meet the final three candidates for the superintendent/president position.

The forum will be held on Cuesta College’s San Luis Obispo campus in the Associated Students Auditorium, Room 5401, from noon to 3 p.m. Each candidate will have 50 minutes to introduce themselves, answer a series of pre-determined questions, and respond to questions from the campus community and public attendees. Parking permits will not be required to park on campus between 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. the day of the event.

Beginning October 12, the candidates will be interviewed by the San Luis Obispo Community College District Board of Trustees. The selected candidate is anticipated to be announced at the December Board of Trustees meeting at the San Luis Obispo campus on December 7 at 4 p.m. during open session.

The presidential candidates are as follows:

Ed Knudson has worked in the California Community College System since 1993 after earning his master’s degree. He has served as full-time faculty, department chair, faculty president, division director, dean, vice president of Academic Affairs and executive vice president. He has served on a variety of college governance committees, has written successful grants and served on the boards of college Foundations. He is also a veteran of the United States Army. Knudson has a long history of participation with service organizations, including Rotary International and has served as a member of a Workforce Investment Board (WIB).

Dr. Willard Clark Lewallen earned two master’s degrees in exercise science and counseling from Purdue University and a doctorate in education from UCLA. He has 32 years of professional experience working in higher education, including 27 years working in the California Community College system. After working for five years as a counselor/academic advisor at Purdue University, he worked as a counselor at Antelope Valley College. He has since served as a faculty member, dean, vice president of Students Services, and since 2007, has served as president of West Hills College.

Dr. Gilbert H. Stork has been serving as Cuesta College’s interim superintendent/president since January 2010. He has a longstanding relationship with Cuesta College dating back to 1967. At Cuesta College, he has served as an assistant football coach, mathematics instructor, division chair, associate dean, dean, and assistant superintendent/vice president of student services. He earned his master’s degree in mathematics from Cal Poly and his doctorate in educational administration from Brigham Young University. Additionally, he has served on the board of directors and volunteered for numerous local, non-profit organizations.