Miles Community College invites the Miles City community to meet the MCC Board of Trustee candidates on Monday, April 19. This open forum will be held at 5:30pm in Rooms 106/107 on the MCC Campus in the Lucas Hall Administration Building.
“I am so excited that we have such a terrific group of candidates for our Board of Trustee openings,” commented MCC President Ron Slinger. “Miles Community College has a long history of strong, effective Board Members. Our Board provides the vision for everything we do. Their steady hand and guidance have been an essential part of the success of our college and our community. It is a very important role and we are grateful for their leadership.”
Two openings will be available for the MCC Board of Trustees through election on May 4, 2021. Candidates include Jeff Okerman (incumbent trustee), Lance Brence, Angela Mendoza, and Jenna Janshen. Sue Morlock will be vacating her seat on the Board of Trustees and will not be running as an incumbent candidate. Morlock was elected to the board in 2006.
Following the event, a recording of the community forum will be available on the MCC Youtube channel at www.youtube.com. The direct link will be available on the MCC website after Monday. Due to safety, social distancing will be enforced and masks are required for all attendees during the forum. For additional information, please visit www.milescc.edu.
Candidate Bios:
Jeff Okerman: Okerman has served as a Trustee for Miles Community College since 2009 and as Board Chair from 2015-2017. He and his wife Nancy moved to Miles City in 1994 where they have been involved in the family ranching operation and, more recently, involved in a partnership farming operation, both located south of Miles City. Okerman attended college at Montana State University and has taken classes at MCC, along with his two daughters. He also has served on several industry and community boards including the Midland Empire Angus Association (board member), Montana State Salers Association (president), Town and Country Club (board member and president), and Montana State Golf Association (regional director). Okerman and his wife Nancy were also recipients of the Miles City Chamber of Commerce Ag Persons of the Year award in 2019.
Larry Brence: Brence is currently the Eastern Region Department Head for the MSU Extension, where he supervises county and reservation Extension Agents across the eastern third of Montana. He has a Master’s Degree in Agriculture Economics from New Mexico State University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Animal Science from Montana State University. Brence grew up on a ranch near Ekalaka and has live most of his life in Eastern Montana. He and his wife Shannon have three daughters all of whom graduated from Custer County District High School and have lived in Miles City since 2004.
Angela Mendoza: Mendoza has over 20 years of experience as a business leader and several years of experience with grant writing and administration, while currently teaching one class per term at MCC. Originally from Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, her business background began as she worked her way through the ranks in retail, before earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Business from Eastern Oregon University. She then went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership from Southern New Hampshire University and is currently working her way through a Doctorate Degree in Higher Educational Leadership from Concordia University. Mendoza currently works as the Grant Administrator & Public Relations Coordinator for the Southeastern Montana Development Corporation (SEMDC), working with the public sector to ensure growth and economic stability in Southeastern Montana.
Jenna Janshen: Janshen is a born and raised Miles City native and is currently the Interior Designer at SDI Architects + Design, located in Miles City. She has extensive experience in the hospitality industry and spends her time volunteering in the Miles City Community. Janshen has current civic affiliations with Kiwanis Club of Miles City, Milestown Community Improvements, Inc. (MCI2), and USA Hockey. Janshen is also an alumna of the MCC Class of 2006 where she graduated with an Associate of Arts & Science degree. She then went on to North Dakota State University where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design and a minor degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management from North Dakota State University. Janshen was also selected to sit on the MCC 2020 Vision Planning Committee to help establish a strategic planning document to aid in the college’s overall growth and development. She and her husband Brandon were recipients of the Miles City Chamber of Commerce Harvey Wolke Award for Community Betterment in 2020.
Click here for the Candidate Forum Recording
