Door open to new Harper president after finalist withdraws

Harper College's presidential search is merely a numbers game now.

One of the two finalists has withdrawn, clearing the path to contract negotiations with Kenneth Ender, president and CEO of Cumberland County College in Vineland, N.J.

Harper's board of trustees met in a special session Monday morning to discuss whether to reopen the search or proceed with Ender, who interviewed on the Palatine campus last week.

"I look at this as a phenomenal thing," Harper Board President Laurie Stone said. "He just blew us away with expressions of what a community college should be and how he'd lead us in fulfilling our potential."

The board considered how well Ender's qualifications and background matched the Harper search committee's presidential profile. They also examined interview evaluations from faculty, staff, students and community members. Either candidate would have made an excellent choice, Stone said.

She expects the board to appoint Ender the new president officially at the March 19, pending a signed contract.

Ender has been in his current role since 1998. Cumberland serves about 4,500 students compared to more than 40,000 at Harper.

He'll replace Robert Breuder, who left Harper after 10 years to take the top post at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn.

Stone said the other finalist, Martha Ellis, notified the school via e-mail that she had to withdraw for family-related reasons. She was due to tour the campus this week.

Harper's search committee interviewed eight candidates before narrowing the pool to Ender and Ellis. A community college will typically name at least a few finalists, but Stone said they were going for "quality over quantity."

"I see a man who truly believes in the servant leadership philosophy," Stone said. "He puts great stock into reaching out and being the public face of the institution."