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40 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, December 16, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend June 25, 2004 Angstadt River’s call helps attract new RCC president Peter Angstadt also ran community college in Colorado and was mayor of Idaho town By ANITA BURKE Mail Tribune Peter Angstadt first came to Southern Oregon in the 1970s as a rafting guide on the Rogue River. Now he’s back, guiding Rogue Community College. He started as the college’s president June 14. He’s working alongside outgoing president Rick Levine to learn about the school and the people it serves. Levine leaves at the end of the month. "One thing about a community college is it’s so nimble and responsive to students and the community," Angstadt said. Angstadt, 49, most recently served as president of Colorado Northwestern Community College in Rangely, Colo., and formerly was dean of college services at Clackamas Community College in Oregon City. Advertisement He also was mayor of Pocatello, Idaho, from 1990 to 1998, a job he says made him the go-to guy for citizen concerns ranging from noisy neighbors to snow-plow schedules. "I would get calls at 2 a.m. from people saying ‘It’s snowing. When are you going to start plowing?’ " he said. Angstadt will put his listening skills to work as he takes the helm at RCC. He wants to boost enrollment by offering courses that meet local demand. He plans conversations with students, business people and school districts to see what types of training and classes they need. "I’ll start by asking questions about what we can do," he said. For example, nursing could be a key program as the valley, state and nation face a shortage of nurses, he said. RCC could work with Southern Oregon University and local hospitals to help prepare people for nursing careers. Partnerships will play an important role in the college’s future, especially when it comes to funding, he said. The school will strive to land government training contracts and build cooperative programs that use various funding sources. "Years ago, the state funded higher education, but with the economic downturn, it can’t do that anymore," Angstadt said. "We must try to be entrepreneurial." The college also is studying a bond measure to pay for improvements to its campuses in Jackson and Josephine counties, including the Table Rock Campus under development in White City. The college Angstadt headed in Colorado covered two counties and had faced deep budget cuts, much like Rogue Community College, said RCC board members who visited as part of Angstadt’s evaluation. "The institution is struggling with the same growth pains we are," board member Kevin Talbert said. He noted that people there praised Angstadt’s leadership and strength. Angstadt commended RCC’s faculty, staff and board members, too. "They always look to the future, to how they can assist the community," he said. "That’s the thing that absolutely sold me." Of course, a chance to return to the region’s rivers also provided a plus for the avid outdoorsman. "I really loved the area," he said. "It’s fun to be back." He, wife Denise and their four children have already had outings on the Rogue. People who know his love for the river have invited him on rafting trips and he hopes to get more calls like that. No doubt, they’re more fun than a middle-of-the-night call about plowing plans. Levine plans to stay part of RCC through its foundation Retiring Rogue Community College President Rick Levine, 61, plans to stay connected to the college where he has spent 21 years. He’ll become co-executive director of the RCC Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports scholarships and campus projects. He’ll share the duties of the contract job with Tom Bradbeer, a dean emeritus. He’s also considering work as a lobbyist for the Oregon Community College Association and will continue to volunteer on area nonprofit boards. He plans to work in his Applegate vineyard, travel and spend time with his two grandsons. Levine attended RCC in the early 1970s, then managed the college’s bookstore, cafeteria and business office before becoming dean of business and industry services. He worked as assistant commissioner in the state Office of Community Colleges and as vice president of academic services at Chemeketa Community College before returning to RCC, where he became president in 1997. He retired in May 2003 as state pension reform loomed, and remained with the school under contract for a year until his successor was found. Reach reporter Anita Burke at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities