Interim leader one of three finalists for COD president job

College of DuPage's interim President Brian Caputo is one of three educators in the running to become the next permanent president of the school.

Officials at the Glen Ellyn-based school Monday night identified Caputo, Johnny Moore and Ken Trzaska as the finalists being considered by the school's board of trustees. Moore is president of Pierpont Community & Technical College in Fairmont, West Virginia. Trzaska is the president of Seward County Community College in Liberal, Kansas.

The COD board will conduct interviews and host public candidate forums next week before making a final decision about who will replace former president Ann Rondeau.

"On behalf of the board of trustees, I would like to personally commend the members of the Presidential Search Committee for their hard work, commitment to community service and due diligence in this vital task of identifying final candidate suggestions for the board's consideration," COD board Chairman Frank Napolitano said in a statement.

The 16-member search committee recommend the three finalists after interviewing candidates on Saturday.

Napolitano and COD Faculty Association President Shannon Toler will host the open forums, which are scheduled for May 6, 7 and 8 at the school's main campus.

The presidential search began after Rondeau left Glen Ellyn school on Dec. 31 to become the next president of the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. Caputo - COD's vice president of administrative affairs and treasurer - has been serving as interim president since Jan. 1.