Carroll Community College announced Thursday that its third president, James Ball, would retire at the end of the current school year, on July 5, after serving as president for 10 years.
The college’s board of trustees voted unanimously to appoint Rose Mince as the next president, effective July 6. Mince will assume the title of associate president on Jan. 2, and will work alongside Ball until his retirement “to create a smooth transition of leadership for the college,” according to a news release from the college.
Mince began working at the college in February 2017 and is the provost and dean of the faculty. She oversees academic and student support areas as well as marketing, strategic planning, institutional research and online learning.
Ball became the college’s third president on July 1, 2014, upon the retirement of Faye Pappalardo, who spent 15 years building and steering the school. Prior to that, Ball served as vice president of academic and student affairs for about 15 years. Ball has worked at the college for 25 years, and his career in higher education, including a stint as vice president of Howard Community College, has spanned 47 years.
“Dr. Ball has worked to strategically position Carroll for the future, managed the College effectively through a pandemic, and communicated openly and honestly with all constituencies,” Mary Kay Nevius-Maurer, chair of the college’s board of trustees, said in the news release. “We could not be more grateful for his service. … The legacy and the culture he created will be felt for years.”
Carroll Community College, located in Westminster, had a $36.7 million operating budget in fiscal 2023. It offers more than 70 associate degree and certificate programs, as well as 38 workforce training certificate programs, and also provides personal enrichment classes. About 9,391 credit and noncredit students attended the college in fiscal 2023. This fall, 3,164 students took courses for credit, about 90% of whom are Carroll County residents. Last year, the college awarded 471 associate degrees.
Ball said working as the college’s president has been “the greatest honor of my career.”
“I am very proud of Carroll. We are known for our culture of collaboration, inclusion, and devotion to student success and for our impact on the community,” he said in the news release. “I have had the dream job leading the dream team.”
