CLC discusses what it wants in new president

An informal exchange of ideas took place Wednesday night on what attributes College of Lake County's next president should have, which ranged from financial acumen to a sense of humor.

CLC still is on target to hire its next president in December, said Nancy McNerney, a search committee co-chair. McNerney, the school's acting vice president for administrative affairs, said 37 applicants from across the United States remain in the running for the job.

Grayslake-based CLC has been without a full-time president since Richard Fonte resigned in June 2007. James Rock, CLC's vice president for administrative affairs, has been in Fonte's post on an interim basis since September.

At Wednesday's informal session at the Country Squire restaurant in Grayslake, the search committee and elected board members bounced around ideas on some of the attributes they might want in a new president.

Having a president who has a demonstrated history of fiscal responsibility was one of traits that was mentioned.

"It would be good to have a person who can put a budget together and make the hard calls when the time comes," said Richard Anderson, president of CLC's elected board.

Board member William Griffin said it would be important for the next top administrator to develop relationships with business executives and other community organizations in Lake County. Anderson said he'd also want the president to have a sense of humor and good communication skills.

Although he quit in June 2007, Fonte's affiliation with CLC didn't end until last April.

Under a 10-month deal, Fonte worked from home for his $195,000 annual salary as an assistant to Griffin when he was president of CLC's elected board. Fonte was supposed to analyze state and national issues affecting CLC, along with researching potential federal grants.

Fonte - whose tenure was marked by problems with faculty and questions about his leadership - was hired as CLC's president after a nationwide search in 2006. His contract was to end Dec. 31, 2008.

Rock has been receiving $2,000 per month as interim president on top of his $146,904 annual salary.

CLC did not hire an external recruiting firm to hire Fonte's replacement, as it has in the past.