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College of Lake County Picks Chief

Posted on: Wednesday, 21 December 2005, 12:00 CST

By Lolly Bowean, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune

Dec. 21--After an eight-month search, the College of Lake County Board of Trustees chose the head of a federal educational program as the school's next president Tuesday night, officials said.

The board voted to hire Richard Fonte, director of We the People, an educational initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities, based in Washington, that promotes the teaching of American history in schools through grants and programs.

Fonte, 60, is scheduled to begin work Jan. 24 at the Grayslake college, which has 15,745 students enrolled this year. He has agreed to a three-year contract with an annual salary of $195,000.

"I'm obviously very honored," Fonte said in a telephone interview. "My mission is to help the college achieve excellence. First I'll do a lot of listening to the community and faculty."

Board members had agreed he was the right fit for the job long before Tuesday's vote, said board Chairman Bill Griffin.

Fonte stood out among six finalists for the job because he has worked as president of two community colleges and guided one during a financially difficult time, Griffin said. He also has a doctorate in community colleges and higher-education finance from the University of Michigan.

"He's a seasoned veteran," Griffin said. "His leadership skills were a key factor."

Before he worked for We the People, Fonte spent seven years as president of Austin Community College in Texas, where he was the school's second-longest serving president and helped pass a tax increase to raise funds for the college. He also oversaw a booming enrollment, helped add a sixth campus and built relationships with area high schools.

But he was criticized for his difficult relationship with the board and some school faculty, which CLC board members took into consideration, Griffin said.

"Being president is a difficult job," he said. "You make decisions that some people like and some people don't. As long as he acts in the best interest of the college, that's all I care about."

At CLC, Fonte will be in charge of the school's staff, direct the $65 million annual budget and oversee three campuses and extension sites.

Fonte said he plans to concentrate on helping the Waukegan and Vernon Hills campuses grow. He also wants to develop relationships with other local colleges and universities and start programs with local high schools, he said.

Like most community colleges, CLC has suffered from a decline in funding in recent years. For fiscal year 2002, the school received $10.5 million from the state, but in 2005, state funding had declined to $7.5 million.

In addition to his work in Austin, Forte also was president of South Suburban College in South Holland. In 1996 he worked as an assistant for workforce development in Gov. Jim Edgar's office. He has held several other positions, including interim president at Triton College in River Grove.

He is a graduate of Indiana University and Georgetown University.

lbowean@tribune.com

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Source: Chicago Tribune

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