Last Two Finalists Interview Nic Faculty, Students Seek More Time With Candidates

Two candidates with Texas ties met campus groups Tuesday, completing the closely guarded interviews that will determine North Idaho College’s next president.

Joe Forrester, dean of Timberline Campus in Leadville, Colo., and Michael Burke, vice president of finance and planning at Eastfield College in Mesquite, Texas, are the last two of four finalists vying for the NIC presidency.

Burke drew praise from staff, faculty and students for his thoughtful and honest responses.

Students smiled when Burke joked that he’d “been there, done that,” referring to past administrative duties and his desire to learn.

“I thrive on the challenge of a dynamic environment and I look forward to stepping out of my comfort zone,” he told students, who seemed impressed that he eats in the school cafeteria, advises a student club and plays intramural sports in Mesquite.

Burke has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English, and his Ph.D. in community college leadership from the University of Texas at Austin.

In his current position, he coordinated construction of a new $10 million technology building, a student services center and a library expansion.

Burke said he has an open door management policy - no appointment necessary.

“This is not an autocracy,” he said. “This is leadership among peers.”

Burke said his education and training match the qualities NIC is looking for in a leader. He proposes better campus communication and believes in getting involved in the economic development of Coeur d’Alene.

An arts advocate and outdoor enthusiast, Burke said he most enjoys being a dad.

“That is my favorite thing on Earth,” he said, eyeing his 3-year-old daughter, who attended the reception.

Candidate Joe Forrester said there are parallels between NIC and Timberline Campus. Both schools have similar taxing districts, “plus I already come equipped with parkas and Sorels,” he said. The city of Leadville gets an average of 200 inches of snow a year, he said.

Timberline is one of seven campuses serving the Colorado Mountain College system. In Forrester’s nine years on campus, full-time enrollment grew by 70 percent, while instructional costs declined. A $6.5 million building project is under way.

Soliciting community support is key to successful growth, Forrester said.

“We’ve got to be able to show our taxpayers that we are indeed using our tax dollars wisely,” he said.

He gained local support by putting a five-year cap on campus spending and then drawing the Leadville community into the academic debate about future programs.

‘One of the things I perceive here is perhaps the college has not defined its niche in the educational marketplace,” he said of NIC.

Forrester attended the afternoon reception with his wife Gloria, who heads Leadville’s Chamber of Commerce. He relaxes by volunteering for community groups such as the Lions Club, he said.

He also hikes, golfs and occasionally fishes.

He holds an associate’s degree from Tyler Junior College in Tyler, Texas, and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science from East Texas State University, where he eventually received his education doctorate. He worked for several years at El Paso Community College.

Faculty reportedly gave Forrester high marks and were fond of his informal manner. Some students said they felt Forrester was distant and unaware of local issues, at one point warning them against “arrogance” within student government.

Both students and faculty complained about the tightly controlled interview process on campus that prohibited the candidates from addressing both groups simultaneously.

“Students want to know how they will respond to faculty and faculty want to hear them talking to students,” said student leader Josh Buehner.

Except for a brief reception and a 20-minute interview with the press, all candidate appearances and remarks before the general faculty, staff and students were closed to the public.

Buehner, who tangled Monday and Tuesday with NIC interim President Ron Bell over the decision to close the sessions, said NIC censored who could listen to the candidate responses.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 2 color photos