MCC board approves new boss

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The McHenry County College board on Thursday hired an interim president who has led community colleges for more than 25 years.

Larry Tyree, 64, will take the reins of MCC on Aug. 15, replacing acting President Brian Sager, who is also the mayor of Woodstock.

"I personally am looking forward to having Dr. Tyree," Trustee Scott Summers said. "He seems to be the pick of the litter."

Tyree was out of town Thursday but spoke with trustees via speakerphone after they voted unanimously to approve his contract.

"Thank you all very much," Tyree said.

Tyree is the interim president of Monroe Community College in Rochester, N.Y., and has led three community colleges in Florida and Texas.

One of Tyree's chief tasks as president will be to help find a permanent replacement for President Emeritus Walter Packard, who resigned in February to spend more time with his sick wife.

While she did vote in favor of the contract, Trustee Donna Kurtz said college officials were too soft in negotiating Tyree's compensation.

"I don't think we negotiated the salary. I don't think we negotiated the expenses. I think they were dictated to us," Kurtz said.

Other trustees and the board attorney said they had plenty of back-and-forth with Tyree over his compensation package.

"We've all done a good and diligent job and indeed been mindful of the taxpayer dollars," Summers said.

The board did, however, agree to Tyree's demand that "under no circumstance" would he accept less money than the college is paying Packard.

McHenry County taxpayers will, in essence, pay for two college presidents next year. Packard will continue to collect his annual salary of $188,564 plus benefits, while Tyree will collect the same paycheck.

And while Tyree told college officials he did not need retirement benefits, the board's attorney said Illinois law may require the interim president to contribute 8 to 8.5 percent of his annual salary - more than $15,000 - to his pension fund.

In that case, the college would pick up the tab, board attorney Joseph Perkoski said.

Tyree raised some eyebrows this month when he asked the board to pay for personal travel expenses, including a trip to a Florida Gators football game and a visit to his grandchildren.

While football was not explicitly mentioned, officials said Tyree will be able to seek up to $15,000 in reimbursement for business trips, relocation expenses and visits to his family in the South.

Hire: McHenry taxpayers will foot bill for president emeritus and new acting president next year