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CC Leader Community Colleges Go Outside to Fill Key Posts BARBARA VINIAR A sk one community college leader if hiring like Human Resources, Information Technology and individuals who haven’t come through the ranks Public Relations. For Richard Hockery, moving from makes sense, and he will say absolutely not, the educational software developer to community college IT cultural adjustment is too difficult. Ask another, and administration was natural. As CIO of the New Hampshire she will say that with the right guidance and orientation, Community Technical Colleges, Dockery likes “providing “outsiders” make excellent hires. Ask another, and you’ll access for those without other opportunities.” Dennis hear that there is an adequate but underrepresented Moore, assistant to the president and director of public pool of potential leaders among women and minorities relationsand publications at the Community College of already in community colleges, why go outside? Rhode Island, had an extensive PR background at the Half of the nation’s nearly 1,000 community college former Bank of Boston and Roger Williams Medical presidents will retire over the next few years, according Center.“PR skills such as writing are easily transfer- to some estimates. In addition, the senior administrators able,” says Moore, “enabling an individual to produce who might have been on track to assume these positions quickly in a new environment.” Moore says his tenure are themselves retiring, drying up the pipeline that used as chief spokesperson for the bank, addressing layoffs, to ensure a steady flow of candidatesfrom within, and branch closures and declining profits, and explaining creating vacancies in critical areas of campus leadership. “wrong side” surgeries and disbarred doctors for the Filling “the leadership gap” has reached a crisis point for hospital, prepared him for “crisis communications” dur- community colleges nationwide. ing a difficult year when faculty voted no confidence in In the midst of this crisis, some campuses are turning CCRI’spresident, who eventually stepped down. What surprised Moore about communitycolleges was their to candidates from business, the military, politics and complexity and the challenge of dealing with multiple other non-community college backgrounds. While some constituencies internally and externally. community colleges are wary of “outsiders,” there are numerous New England examples of leaders who have C ommunity colleges have difficulty matching made the transition successfully. corporate salaries to attract skilled employees, Military officers receive leadership training and but they often offer a more attractive work/life often retire young enough to have a full second career. balance, benefits that may include tuition remission for David Bull retired from the U.S. Air Force as a colonel families and an intellectually and culturally stimulating and is now dean of administration and finance at environment. They also offer prospective career-changers Quinebaug Community College in Connecticut. He says an important intangible: the chance to be part of his responsibilities and challenges are so similar it was improving students’ lives by providing access to higher like “taking off one uniform and putting on another.” As education and betterjobs. David Sykes and Joanne abase civil engineer, Bull was responsible for facilities, Agnello-Veley, both of Middlesex Community College in capital projects, procurement of maintenance and repair Middletown, Conn., were attracted by these advantages. contracts and master planning. He now oversees the Sykes’s 21 years with the Hartford Insurance Group college store, facilities, finance, IT, personnel, mainte- gave him experience in budget, operations and payroll. nance and contracting. “The applications are different,” He then started his own consulting firm specializing in says Bull, “but the fundamentals are the same.” Bull sees productivity improvement, HR training and 401(k) his role as “the leader of a business enterprise that sup- educational programs. The broad range of skills made ports the academic community.” The MBA he earned him an excellent candidate for his current position, dean while in the military assists him in achieving efficiencies. of administration and finance. Although the benefits and “Although the military is a more hierarchical organi- regular schedule were attractive after running his own zation, getting the job done in either environment is business, “making a visible contribution” was the most about team-building and uses the same leadership important factor in making the switch. Sykes says the skills,” says Bull. In addition to the rewards of “direct biggest adjustment has been to a union environment student contact,” Bull says he enjoys the “variety and where it is difficult to reward or penalize individual constant challenges” offered by his community college performance. He has had to become “more of a coun- leadership position. selor and coach” in order to motivate his employees. Community college leaders drawn from the corporate “This is the best job I have held—something new every sector are most likely to transition within specific fields day,” says Sykes. 24 NEW ENGLAND BOARD OF HIGHER EDUCATION Agnello-Veley worked for the U.S. Department like a legislator, my job as president is to be visible of Labor, as well as a privately owned utility and a and helpful.” Fortune 50company prior to moving to a community Many presidential duties have come naturally for college. These diverse experiences gave her the ability the former politician. Last April, for example, Burton “to understand multiple perspectives and to know what went to Washington, D.C. to lobby for earmarks for the works and what doesn’t.” Her biggest challenge as college, provisions in the reauthorization of the federal director of human resources at Middlesex has been Higher Education Act and a new technical high school “to understand and untangle red tape.” North Shore is trying to build in Danvers. But other “If an average employee can’t understand a policy, it’s responsibilities have required more adjustment. Burton not a good policy,” says Agnello-Veley. She and her husband says he was least prepared for managing up, or work- both left the private sector for state employmentto enjoy ing with board members. Presidents who have come abetter quality of life. “We have rewarding careers in throughthe ranksmay have a network of fellow presi- our fields and time with our children,” she says. dents to call upon when problems arise with boards. Middlesex President Wilfredo Nieves says he “relies For those appointed from outside, board tensions can on Sykes’s background and sense of balance,” while add stress to an already lonely endeavor. Agnello-Veley’s “openness to learning and sharing has Katharine Eneguess, presi- facilitated dialogue and looking at things differently.” dent of the New Hampshire These individuals represent the more typical “outside” Community Technical College, hires. They have entered at a mid-level or senior-level Berlin/Laconia, agrees that an leadership position which can provide them with the understanding of how the community college experience they need to become political environment influ- presidents. It is rarer for someone to move directly ences public policy is a into a presidency from other sectors, but there are significant advantage for a some whose backgrounds have made the transition community college president. possible. Before becoming president of North Shore Eneguess spent 16 years spe- Community College in Danvers, Mass., Wayne Burton cializing in educational policy served two terms in the New Hampshire state Legislature, and community development Eneguess: Spent 16 one in a minority leadership position. “My legislative with the New Hampshire years with business and service was far better preparation for being a president Business and Industry industry group. than my doctorate in higher education leadership,” he says. Association, earning her the Burton sees important nickname in the Granite State of “the voice of educa- parallels in the skills tion.” She is in her current position, she says, “because required in his political of the direct connection between community colleges, and college careers: “First, educational attainment and the future of workforce and Ihad to build consensus economic development.” The movement of outsiders into community colleges among 400 legislators, only is not without controversy.Some see it as one more 140 of whom werefrom my attempt to make colleges into businesses. Others fear party. This was excellent that the “crisis” is being used as an excuse to hire “good preparation for working old boys” from business and government networks. But with faculty. Second, there is a powerful argument for going outside: Our having an insider’sunder- institutional challenges are getting more complex and standing of the legislative our leadership jobs are getting harder. We can’t afford to process is an advantage Burton: Legislative background exclude talented individuals with different backgrounds for a public community prepared him for community from the pool of people we tap to fulfill our mission. college leader. Third, run- college presidency. ning for office is like Barbara Viniaris executive director of the Institute being a candidate for the [college] presidency. It’s a for Community College Development at Cornell grueling process of selling yourself to multiple con- University and former president of Berkshire stituents whilekeeping your soul intact. And finally, Community College. Email: [email protected]. CONNECTION SUMMER 2006 25