AACC Narrows Presidential Candidates to 4

's (AACC) next president could be among the four finalists currently being considered to succeed outgoing president Martha A. Smith, .

AACC's Board of Trustees Chairwoman Victoria Fretwell announced Tuesday that the candidates for Smith's successor had been narrowed down to four from a pool of more than 100 names.

"[The Presidential Search and Screening Committee] met last week to make decisions on which candidates would move forward for full interviews with the Board of Trustees and have passed four names onto the board," Fretwell said.

They are currently in the process of scheduling those interviews, she said.

Fretwell said she could not disclose the names of the candidates at this time, as they are protected by a confidentiality agreement. But she said they came from more than 20 different states, and were "a robust, qualified group of individuals."

"We are confident that we will find the right candidate among them," Fretwell said.

When asked if any of the finalists were employees of AACC, she replied that even if they were, she could not disclose any names.

Smith is the fifth and longest-serving president in the community college's 50-year history. When she retires in August, she will have served as president for 18 years.