Dr. Kevin Trutna can officially take the “interim” tag off his title as Feather River College superintendent and president. We at Feather Publishing want to join the ranks of well-wishers in congratulating Trutna and FRC’s board of directors for a job well done.

  Last week’s announcement that Trutna was selected to lead the college didn’t come as a surprise to many. He has done an admirable job in the position since taking over from Ron Taylor last August. And the 46-year-old bested a solid group of finalists. The three others vying for the post — Jeff Cummings, Ronald Rosati and Anthony Tricoli — had a combined 90 years of experience in education.

  The selection of Trutna is good for a number of reasons. He has youth, energy and a solid vision of the college’s role in our community. Trutna seems like a no-nonsense, economic-minded man who understands how important a trained and educated workforce is to our community.

  He has taken that message to the school board and the community at large. He emphasized the importance of the college and the local high schools working together. Just days after he arrived last summer, Trutna became an active member of the Plumas County Economic Recovery Committee.

  In short, Trutna gets it. We look forward to seeing what kind of impact he will have once he moves his family from Yuba City to put down roots in Plumas County.

  From the moment he arrived, Trutna has been accessible and very easy to work with. He quickly returns phone calls and offers candid ideas and answers to tough questions. He also contributed a “Where I Stand” editorial for Feather Publishing in November 2012. His article, “Rationing higher education is poor public policy,” can be found on Feather Publishing’s website, plumasnews.com, under the Opinion link.

  Trutna also has a vision for improvements at Feather River College. He wants to implement a long-term plan to invest in infrastructure and technology. One of his goals is to expand and update student housing. And he said it is important for the school to form partnerships in our rural community to help us thrive.

  He said he wants to make sure FRC continues to support its athletic programs. A solid athletic program makes any school more attractive to student-athletes locally and from outside the region.

  We welcome Trutna as a full-time member of our community. We look forward to benefiting from his vision and 23 years of experience in higher education.