One is a physician and coroner; the other is a lifelong educator. Both are finalists for the presidency of Cincinnati State Technical & Community College. Both say they have a passion for encouraging young people to obtain an education and a vision for the future of the college. Both have impressive credentials in education, fund raising and community involvement. Both were asked to apply for the position by college officials.

Dr. O’dell Owens, below and Dr. Mitchel Livingston, are finalists for the Cincinnati State Technical & Career College presidency. Dan Yount Photo Hamilton County Coroner Dr. O’dell Owens and Dr. Mitchel Livingston, Ph.D., vice President for student affairs and chief diversity officer, University of Cincinnati, are the two finalists for the position being held by interim President John Henderson. Henderson succeeded Ron Wright, who resigned the college presidency in October 2007.

The Cincinnati State Board of Trustees plans to make the tough decision between the two outstanding candidates and hire a new president in mid-August. The Presidential Search Committee, which has been meeting since May, screened more than 20 applications and nominations. Mark Walton, a member of the Cincinnati State board of trustees and chairman of the search committee, said the search produced a strong field of highly qualified candidates.

Michael Oestreicher, chairman of the Board of Trustees at Cincinnati State, said the task now is to choose a candidate who “embodies the characteristics of greatest importance to Cincinnati State stakeholders, who can build upon the significant advances it has made in the past few years, and who will lead the College in fulfilling the increasingly important role it plays in the educational fabric and economic vitality of our city, the region and the state.’’

Livingston, 65, has been in his present position since July 2007. He was formerly vice president for student affairs at UC. He received his doctorate from Michigan State University and Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees from Southern Illinois University. He is also a professor in the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services, with research interests in multi-culturalism and democracy, community building, and organizational development. He serves on many community boards including Bridges for a Just Community, Fifth Third Bank, the Fine Arts Fund of Cincinnati, WCET Public Television and the Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education.

Owens, 61, was elected Hamilton County Coroner in November 2004 as the first African American to hold the position. He defeated incumbent Dr. Carl Parrott, whose term was beset with controversial cases involving unauthorized photographs of corpses and allegations of removing and keeping brains without consent from families of the deceased. Running as a Democrat, Owens campaigned on the slogan, “Dignity in Life, Dignity in Death, “ promising to restore accessibility and accountability. He has partnered with community service groups and removed politics from the office.

A well-know endocrinologist, Owens was named in a 1995 Cincinnati Magazine poll as one of the most trustworthy people in the city. He has become a motivational speaker, using the lessons he has learned from his work as coroner to attack poverty and crime, encouraging youth across the region to complete their high school education and continue with a post-secondary education. He is a strong advocate of early childhood reading programs to give children a head start. Owens is a native Cincinnatian and a graduate of Woodward High School, Antioch College and Yale University, where he earned his medical degree and a Master’s degree in public health.

Owens said he had not considered or was interested in being a college president, but after thinking about the proposal to apply at Cincinnati State, he has become very interested in being president of Cincinnati State. Livingston says Cincinnati State is ready to grow rapidly, just like the University of Cincinnati was poised to do when he arrived there 15 years ago, and he wants to bring his expertise in helping grow UC to Cincinnati State.

Owens and Livingston met with students, professors and staff on the Cincinnati State campus last week to discuss their qualifications and vision for the college, as well as to take questions from the audiences.

Just this week, Cincinnati State reported summer enrollment jumped 18 percent from last year’s summer term. The community college enrolled 7,818 students this summer compared to 6,608 students in the 2009 summer term, according to a news release. The largest jump in summer enrollment was in the school’s Division of Health and Public Safety, which includes the nursing programs. The division enrolled 2,802 students, which represents growth of 32 percent over last summer.

Enrollment at Cincinnati State has been rising steadily, as more students look for a more cost-effective option to learn new skills during the recession. Over the past year, overall full-time enrollment at Cincinnati State has grown by 26 percent.