GCC looking to find special projects coordinator

By CHARITY SMITH

[email protected]

Ironwood - Gogebic Community College is seeking to find someone to temporarily assist with upper level administrative projects while officials look to fill the open positions of vice president of business services and the vice president of student services.

The college board of trustees held a workshop on Wednesday night to discuss the idea of a short-term employee - a special projects coordinator - who would handle some of the duties that the above vice presidents would be doing if the positions were filled.

"We have been having, for quite some time, one vice president doing the job of three," said John Lupino, board president, acknowledging the work of David Darrow, vice president of academic services.

Lupino said board member Tim Kolesar might be a good candidate for the temporary position.

"Tim is somebody with background in administration. Not only background, but expertise to work on some of the projects," Lupino said.

In order to take the job, Kolesar would have to resign from the board first, said Lupino. Kolesar has been on the board for more than 17 years and worked for Ironwood Area Schools for 37 years, 34 of which were as an administrator.

Kolesar said college presigend George McNulty and Darrow are doing the work of four administrators. He said he sent an email to McNulty offering to help. "I would be more than happy to assist in any way possible," Kolesar said.

McNulty said the types of projects the college needs help with are at the vice president level, characterizing them as "some very particular projects."

Lupino outlined three options: 1. Do nothing and let things ride as is until new vice presidents are hired; 2. Appoint Kolesar to assist Darrow and McNulty; or 3. Post the new position internally to see if anyone wants and is qualified to assist with the projects.

McNulty said the length of the absence of the positions, along with a failed vice president search last year, has made for a heavy load for him and Darrow.

Board member Susan Beals asked if they could get the opinions of Glen Ackerman-Behr, the college's director of workforce development, and biology instructor Maria Sokol, who is on the strategic planning committee.

"You pay me to talk to companies about the things you are talking about right now and the thing that is most evident to me is that this is a missed opportunity for a development assignment within the college," said Ackerman-Behr. "And the idea that we are surprised by a difficult recruit position is a bit alarming to me. We should not be surprised that they are difficult to recruit. We are asking people to come to a remote area with a highly specialized skill set that can be compensated very well anywhere in the country."

Ackerman-Behr said that the college should adopt the strategy of development within. He said they should have been able to develop someone from within and he is thinking they should look at how to make sure they always have the next vice president. Many companies will fill the vice president positions from within and then replace those positions that are more easily fillable, he said.

He said he strongly agreed with board member Eric Fitting, who suggested asking the college staff if any of them had any ability or interest in helping with some of the projects.

"That allows the college, that allows the board, to identify those individuals within the organization that are looking for the development assignments and would like to do more," said Ackerman-Behr.

Beals said that was a good idea, as there might be some people out there who have aspirations that they are not aware of.

Sokol said that she was concerned that the board was creating an administrative position and then handing it to someone who was on the board.

"I think that the implications and even the ethical and PR implications of that could be very damaging, although the motivation is good," said Sokol. "I think that there is an opportunity here, like Glen said, to give people the opportunity to come forward and do more and work towards more leadership positions. I think that we would be surprised to find that there are quite a few people willing to do that."

"I think you would communicate what you want to communicate with your existing employees, which is that you value them and want to develop them," said Ackerman-Behr.

The board decided to post for the position internally to see if anyone is interested in helping with the projects. McNulty said he will put together a list of the projects in need.

McNulty said he would email the employees, to see if there is any interest, and get back to the board with the responses.

The board said they would keep Kolesar's offer to help on the table.