By Erica Solvig
The Cincinnati Enquirer

LEBANON - Six of the nine people who will create the blueprint for a community college in Warren County were appointed Tuesday.

County commissioners chose the six members of the future college's board of directors from a pool of 33 applicants. Gov. Bob Taft is expected to name the other three next week.

"Everyone's qualifications were just phenomenal," said Commissioner Pat South, who was on the nominating committee. "Even the nominating committee could not narrow it down to just nine. ... The expertise we had to draw from was just excellent."

The county commissioners appointed people they felt represented a variety of career expertise and a wide geographic area of the county:

• James Baldwin of Lebanon, an attorney and director of telecommunications for the city of Lebanon.

• Marilyn Bashford of Maineville, a registered nurse and administrative assistant with Tiffany & Co.

• Mike Geygan of Maineville, owner of Minuteman Press in Lebanon and chairman of the Warren County College Task Force.

• Brad Knapp of Lebanon, executive vice president of Henkle-Schueler Realtors in Lebanon.

• William B. Russell of Loveland, vice president of college access programs with the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative.

• Barney Wright of Lebanon, executive vice president of Lebanon Citizens National Bank in Lebanon.

The nine-member board of directors will serve until July 2005 or until their successors are named. They will present a community college proposal to the Ohio Board of Regents.

Creating a community college in Warren County - the largest county by population without a public college or university campus - has been discussed for years. In June, Taft approved a two-year pilot program that brings college courses to existing classrooms in the county.

E-mail esolvig@enquirer.com