JOLIET – Two Joliet Junior College board trustees were at odds over how to choose the new leader for the college.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Trustee Maureen Broderick recommended moving forward in September with interim President Judy Mitchell as permanent leader of JJC.
However, Trustee Alicia Morales opposed this because she wanted the position open for transparency purposes.
The trustees discussed having this conversation continue in closed session at the Aug. 30 workshop meeting.
Broderick said that since April she’s received feedback from people recommending the college have a permanent president in place.
She said there has been positive reactions to Mitchell, who has officially been interim president since April, following the abrupt resignation of Debra Daniels in March.
Broderick also noted the potential cost of a search that she learned from state and national community college trustee associations, saying it would be between $100,000 and $150,000.
“I think [Mitchell’s] done a stellar job. And I think she knows the financial end of it; she’s handling all of the communication end of it,” Broderick said.
Mitchell has previously been endorsed to become the permanent president by Romeoville Village Manager Steve Guldon and JJC professor Bill Johnson.
Morales said Mitchell has done a fine job, but for transparency purposes she didn’t feel comfortable as a trustee handpicking someone for the position.
“I’ve heard people that are actually interested in applying for the job. … I wouldn’t want to see that opportunity taken away from anyone. So just for transparency purposes, I would like to see the position open,” Morales said.
Broderick said as an employer she always looks for someone who is stable, long term, gets along with staff, knows them and knows the work environment.
“And I think all of those things is what [Mitchell] already knows,” Broderick said. “To bring someone else in is a big training and a big learning curve and then is a style that we have to get used to.”
Morales said JJC has a lot of internal candidates that bring all of the same qualities as Mitchell. She said they are probably are looking for “upward mobility or an opportunity at least to express interest in the position.”
“So I’m more for being transparent and letting people apply,” she said.
