CCC working on guiding document for president

CLOVIS — Trustees and staff at Clovis Community College had a busy three-day stretch, considering it’s the start of June and the summer semester population isn’t nearly the fall or spring population.

But it’s not every June the college is looking for a new president.

A pair of public meetings, and a trio of forums that were simultaneously public and private, commenced on campus Wednesday through Friday. The goal: A guiding document for finding Becky Rowley’s successor.

The trustees are working with the Association of Community College Trustees to find a field of candidates, with the goal to have a new president hired in mid-October and starting in January. The association has conducted more than 500 searches for community colleges across the country.

Rowley is taking the president’s position at Santa Fe Community College, and Robin Kuykendall will serve as interim president until a new president is in place. Kuykendall has indicated she doesn’t plan to apply for the permanent position.

Steve McCleery, a New Mexico representative for ACCT and the former president at New Mexico Junior College, said he found out firsthand why hiring an outside agency to do the search helps. When he tried to retire at Hobbs, the college and the trustees decided to do their own search.

“We got 10 applicants,” McCleery told a public forum crowd Thursday. “They said we’ve got nobody qualified in the pool. Now if you were in that pool, I apologize.”

McCleery and Julie Golder, ACCT’s vice president for search services, conducted a trio of one-hour forums on campus Thursday. Between that and a survey offered online for a few weeks, the search committee of ACCT created a presidential profile outlining characteristics and qualifications the public, CCC employees and trustees would want in a president.

The profile, once approved by the trustees, was scheduled for posting on the CCC and ACCT websites Monday.

“You are an investor; you are a stakeholder in the future of CCC,” trustee Raymond Mondragon told members of the third Thursday forum. “You are paving the pathway to our new president.”

Mondragon and Kuykendall came for the beginning of each forum, each attended by around a dozen people, and left after making introductions. McCleery then told the remaining audience to not censor their thoughts and to promise what was said wouldn’t leave the room. The News told McCleery it planned to report on the public forum, but would do so without identifying forum participants.

McCleery asked forum participants about:

• Challenges for the next president: Mentioned were declining state funding, infrastructure challenges, any notion CCC isn’t taken seriously as an educational institution, promotion of educational programs outside of its well-promoted medical curriculums, community events, learning options for students with 9-to-5 jobs, lack of central areas for information and education that corresponds with local employer needs.

• Characteristics: Mentioned were familiarity, friendliness, good communicator to all levels of employees and students, forward-thinking, approachable, understanding of military life, good delegator, completes tasks.

• Minimum requirements: Mentioned were higher education leadership experience, at least a doctorate degree and experience as faculty and administration.

McCleery and Golder told forum participants they would try to incorporate as much feedback as possible, but not to create a profile so complex no applicant would want the job.

“They know every institution has challenges, they know every institution has opportunities,” McCleery said. “Our job is to build an applicant pool you’re comfortable with.”

By Friday afternoon, that profile was in front of the board of trustees. Golder asked the board to read over the profile carefully, because, “Candidates read these documents very carefully to determine fit.”

Mondragon said he had a hard time finding issues with the profile, and outside of a few additions the board agreed.

“I like what I have read,” Mondragon said. “It refers to the strategic plan as well.”

Trustee Lora Harlan asked a section on requiring experience with K-12 systems refer to both public and private systems, and Trustee Laura Leal asked for a section on requiring the leader to continue professional development after arriving.

“Leadership, you never have it mastered,” Leal said.

The board closed the meeting by reviewing the timeline, which anticipates applications due by mid-August, a presentation of five finalists to the board Sept. 12-13 and final candidate interviews the week of Sept. 30. Golder advised trustees to clear their calendars so all five could be at every interview for every finalist.

“It’s a big commitment,” Golder said,” but it is so important.”

The board also held its regular meeting Wednesday. During the meeting, Harlan was sworn in to serve the remainder of the late Russell Muffley’s term in District 3. The position will be on the ballot in November.

The board also presented an award to David Richards, who is retiring this summer, for his service as counsel for the board.

The board will meet again 8 a.m. Aug. 7 at CCC Room 512.