JONES Spartanburg Community College has chosen veteran Ohio college administrator Dr. Para Jones to become its new president.

Jones comes from Stark State College of Technology in North Canton, Ohio where she was vice president for advancement and planning at the 12,000-student school. She has nearly 22 years of experience in community college leadership.

Jones replaces Dr. Dan Terhune, who is leaving after 15 years as SCC president.

Jones will take charge Oct. 5. She is the fifth president at SCC and the first woman to lead the college.

"I was attracted to Spartanburg Community College because of the institution's many strengths, including economic development partnerships with business, industry and the community," Jones said. "It is that aspect of the community college mission that drew me to academia in the first place and continues to drive my professional and personal work."

Prior to her academic career, Jones worked in corporate advertising and communications for Roadway Express, Inc. in Akron, Ohio. She worked as an editor of technical publications at Goodyear Aerospace Corporation and was a public relations coordinator for the city of Canton, Ohio.

Jones was chosen as the SCC president following a national search by the Spartanburg Community Commission for Technical and Community Education.

At Stark State, she helped lead the community college to nearly 10 years of double-digit enrollment increases and worked with her team to raise nearly $50 million to support academic programs.

Jones helped develop a program with First Generation utility in Ohio to train power line workers and substation technician workers. In 2008, Spartanburg Community College partnered with Duke Energy to establish a nuclear technician training program on the Cherokee County branch campus. Both programs have helped train people to replace retired employees at utility plants.

Jones said she will spend her first few weeks as Spartanburg Community College president meeting with business leaders and community members.

"As a comprehensive community college with high-quality and affordable technical and transfer programs, SCC is uniquely positioned to impact the lives of people and the economic development in the three counties we serve," Jones said. "I look forward to working with SCC's board, faculty, staff, students and the community to carry out that important mission."

Jones and her husband, Greg, have been married 29 years and have twin sons, Christopher and Kyle. Christopher is a financial analyst for Fifth Third Bank in Cincinnati and Kyle is a Naval Flight Officer in Pensacola, Fla.