Dr. Ned J. Sifferlen, Sinclair Provost, has been named the fourth president of Sinclair Community College, effective Sept. 1. Dr. David H. Ponitz, President of Sinclair since 1975, announced his retirement effective Aug. 31. In its regularly scheduled meeting on Jan. 14, the nine member Sinclair Board of Trustees formally accepted Dr. Ponitz's resignation and approved the transition.
"Dr. Sifferlen has a different style than President Ponitz, but he is effective in his own right, in terms of relating to people of all persuasions and being able to find solutions to difficult problems," said Sinclair Board chairman John E. Moore. "He has had an opportunity to grow with the institution and that gives him a real advantage to develop new initiatives in the future. He is highly respected by faculty and staff and will be able to hit the ground running."
Dr. Sifferlen, Randolph Township, began his Sinclair career in 1965 as an instructor in Business Technologies. From 1969-79, he was Dean of Business Technologies. [in 1979, he was named vice president for administration From 1981-91, Dr. Sifferlen was vice president for instruction. In 1991, he was named Provost, chief operating officer of the college, and served as acting president for four months while President Ponitz was on a sabbatical leave.
In his five years as Provost, Dr. Sifferlen has been responsible for the day to day operations of the college. He has been actively involved in all aspects of major college initiatives including new academic programs, enrollment growth, non-credit training in the corporate and community services division, and assessment of student achievement.
Dr. Sifferlen also coordinated the planning and implementation of the advanced integrated manufacturing (AIM) center and the preconstruction planning for the center for interactive learning (CIL).