PERRYBURG – Owens Community College’s Board of Trustees has extended its president’s contract.

At their meeting Tuesday, trustees extended Dione D. Somerville’s contract for three years and increased her salary by 3.44% effective July 1.

Board chair Mary Beth Hammond made the announcement after members conducted its annual compensation review.

“On behalf of the board of trustees, I congratulate you, the executive leadership team and all of the college employees on the accomplishments of a great academic year,” Hammond said.

“It always is a team effort,” Somerville said.

Somerville’s current base compensation is $228,979. It will go to $236,856 on July 1 and her contract has been extended to June 30, 2027.

Somerville was named president in June 2021.

She was given a 3% increase to her base salary after a performance review in June 2022, and a three-year contract extension and 3.4% increase in her base salary in June 2023.

Somerville is serving as the eighth president of Owens Community College.

The board also heard preliminary summer enrollment is up 2.9% from last year.

“We continue to trend positively,” Somerville said.

Summer term began June 10, and the official count will take place June 22.

Current preliminary student enrollment for summer term was up 1.1% and the new student count is up 21.3%.

“We’re really hoping to see some lasting rebound from that,” she said.

Overall, the college is just slightly below where it was last year, “but we’re continuing to make gains,” Somerville said.

Also at the meeting, trustees:

• Learned that for fiscal year 2023-24, the college will spend approximately $7.3 million in state capital appropriations, including $414,708 for College Hall Phase 3; $1,417,605 for College Hall Phase 4; $1,267,826 for the School of Nursing and Health Sciences renovation; $1,255,909 for HVAC renovation and replacement; $2,129,067 for roof renovations; $608,514 for Transportation Technologies Building renovations; and $177,583 for campus safety.

• Renamed the Audio/Visual Classroom Center and the Library to the Healthcare Education Center that will house the School of Nursing and Health Professions.