Come February, the dean of students’ team will have a new member.
Jamie Patton, director of Inclusion and Multicultural Services of Northern Arizona University, has been selected to fill the assistant dean of students’ position and will start Feb. 2.
The position was previously held by current Dean of Students Jenny Hall-Jones.
Patton beat out Cynthia Fulford, executive director in the Office of Leadership and Student Development at Cedar Crest College, and Mattie White, associate athletic director for Student-Athlete Well-Being and Development at Indiana University, for the position.
Another finalist, Natalie Pariano, director of Campus Leadership & Involvement at Denison University, dropped out of the search before Patton was selected.
“We had great candidates; our finalist pool was pretty amazing,” Hall-Jones said.
Patton had qualities that led him to stand out against the other candidates, Hall-Jones said.
“I think what was special about Jamie, is his experience,” Hall-Jones said. “He had all the preferred things we wanted in a candidate.”
Patton said he is looking forward to becoming a part of Ohio University.
“I’m very excited about the opportunity to join the OU family,” Patton said. “I’m looking forward to serving the students and hearing their needs and advocating for those needs and supporting them and meeting their goals.”
A large part of Patton’s position will be parent centered and he will be in charge of family weekends like Moms Weekend and Dads Weekend, Hall-Jones said, adding he would be administrative support for her and he would also have a role in Bobcat Student Orientation.
“It will be a privilege to serve the OU community and I’m looking forward to getting to know as many students, faculty and staff as possible,” Patton said.
The starting salary for Patton is expected to be between $54,000 and $72,500, Hall-Jones said.
When Hall-Jones was in the position, she made $79,098, according to a previous Post article.
Ryan Lombardi, vice president for Student Affairs, said Patton brings a lot to the table in terms of his experience and background.
“He seemed like he would be a great teammate and colleague,” Lombardi said.
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