CCSN president one of four finalists for Texas position

Community College of Southern Nevada President Richard Carpenter is one of four finalists to head up a community college system in Texas.

Carpenter is in the running to become chancellor of the North Harris Montgomery Community College District, which oversees 47,000 students over five colleges in an area near Houston.

The Clark County college has three main campuses and more than 35,000 students.

Carpenter said in a statement that a search firm based in North Carolina contacted him about the job in January and he continues to interact with Harris Montgomery, but he said he's not looking for a new job.

"I have no employment applications submitted anywhere for any job nor am I in discussions with any other potential employer," he said in the statement. "I am very happy in my current job."

This is the second school finalist search in the past six months for the 53-year-old Carpenter.

Carpenter was also a finalist to head up the Louisiana Community and Technical College System in October. He said his name was thrown into that search by a contractor hired by the system.

He withdrew from the search days later.

Carpenter still has a year left on his contract at the community college, where he earns a base salary of $197,000.

Chancellor Jim Rogers said he expected Carpenter to fulfill that contract, and that he was talking about having the contract extended this year.

Carpenter said in the statement that he expected the review of his contract to appear before the Board of Regents in June.

"I have had nothing but positive feedback from the Regents and I am grateful for their strong support," he said.

The 16-year chancellor of Harris Montgomery college, John Pickelman, announced last year he would retire on Aug. 31 of this year.

The other candidates for the position are the vice chancellor of Harris Montgomery, a president of one of the colleges in the district, and the chancellor of the St. Louis Community College.

Calls left at Harris Montgomery were not returned Friday.