College Trustee Tom Michael says all of the finalists brought different strengths to the table, but in the end, Tyrell stood out, “He has the energy and the enthusiasm that I think the college will need moving forward,” Michael said. “I think it will work out well.”

Michael was a trustee when North Country hired Carol Brown two years ago, after the retirement of longtime President Gail Rogers Rice. He says the search for a new president was more streamlined this time around.

“That search was the first one the college had done in many years,” Michael said. “So we took our learnings from that. We were able to streamline the search. The fact that we were able to essentially complete the search in a short amount of time is a great testament to the search committee.”

That committee included students, faculty, community members and trustees. Candidate interviews took place over four two-day periods and featured public forums as well as campus tours.

Tyrell could not be reached by phone for this story. He said in a prepared statement that he’s “thrilled to return home to the region.”

The college set aside $50,000 for the search, but came in well under budget.

North Country Community College serves a big region, with campuses in Saranac Lake, Malone and Ticonderoga. It also has big plans for the future, including a $65 million capital improvement plan.

Tyrell will take over as president on June 15, pending approval by the State University of New York.