New president for CLC, for now
The College of Lake County has a new president -- at least for the next year.
James Rock, vice president for administrative affairs, took over Wednesday as CLC's interim president. He will hold the title for the next year.
"Jim is well respected by the college community," CLC board chairman William Griffin said in a written statement. "He has a thorough knowledge of the operation of the college and is very familiar with the Lake County community."
The position has been vacant since June when Richard Fonte resigned to serve as special assistant to Griffin.
Griffin was poised to take over as CLC's president but removed himself as the lone applicant July 26 when more than 300 faculty members and students protested.
Fonte's home-based job, which he will hold through March 1, still allows him to draw his annual salary of $195,000.
Fonte and CLC's process for hiring him in January 2006 were widely criticized by college faculty, which is why the CLC board wants to proceed with caution when hiring its next president.
"Everyone is very confident in Jim's ability to lead the institution," said Evelyn Schiele, special assistant to the president for outreach and communications. "This will allow the board to take the time they need to carefully conduct a presidential search."
Rock will receive an additional $2,000 per month as interim president. He earns an annual salary of $146,904.
The Lake Zurich resident was hired as vice president for administrative affairs in April 2002.
Rock has also served as board secretary and treasurer.
Prior to coming to CLC, Rock worked for the Round Lake Area Park District for 21 years in a variety of leadership positions, including executive director.
"It's a privilege to take on this new role at an exciting time when the college is experiencing record enrollment, working to expand the Lakeshore Campus and doing a major project to enhance our students' freshman experience," Rock said in a written statement.
It is unknown if Rock is interested in a permanent president job. He is currently pursuing a law degree at The John Marshall Law School in Chicago.