NIC board has new leadership
Greg McKenzie and Michael Barnes are officially members of the North Idaho College Board of Trustees and are jumping into vice-chair and KTEC board member roles.
In Wednesday night's meeting, the board elected the newest trustee chair and vice-chair. The chair position was previously held by Joe Dunlap, who lost in the Nov. 3 election to McKenzie, and the former vice-chair was current board member Ken Howard.
After running unopposed in the November election, Todd Banducci, now entering his third term on the board, was nominated the new chair.
McKenzie was also nominated for the chair position by Christie Wood but ended up receiving vice-chair instead. Wood, in turn, was elected the new secretary-treasurer.
In her 16th year as a trustee, Wood said she's looking forward to working with the new board members and serving the students.
"Greg seems like a very dedicated person who will focus on serving the college," Wood said. "Even though he is brand new, I thought he would have the best temperament for a board chair. I think he will do a good job as vice-chair."
As board chair, Banducci is responsible for communicating on behalf of the board as the trustees' official voice, and providing an evaluation of the college president, Rick MacLennan. Banducci will periodically consult board members on their roles and performance, delegate duties, and convene the board self-evaluation session.
With only two days of board membership under his belt as of Wednesday, McKenzie will assume the role of vice-chair, a position previously held Howard, who has served on the board for over a decade. In Banducci's absence, McKenzie will act as chair and is tasked with carrying out any special assignments requested by the chair.
“I just recently met them but I’m impressed, I think they’re in this for the right reasons,” Howard said, “I think time will tell how they do in those positions when they need to address the issues the college presents but I think they’ll do well.”
Shannon Goodrich from the NIC President's Office said officer positions aren't related to members' longevity on the board so it's not unusual for a newly elected member to be voted into one. However, neither she nor Howard could remember a time when one was elected this quickly.
Barnes was appointed to the KTEC board after expressing interest in the Kootenai Technical Education Campus. KTEC is a technical training high school developed as a joint venture between the Coeur d'Alene, Post Falls, and Lakeland school districts, local business, and industry leaders and supported by local taxpayers.
"I'm very excited about the position," Barnes said. "I look forward to learning more about it."
In its first year, the 2016-17 school year, 99% of the students who completed KTEC's two-year program either went on to higher education, enlisted in the military or were employed by related industries.
Programs offered through KTEC include automotive technology, welding, automated manufacturing and design, certified nurse assistant, computer repair, and construction trades, to name a few.
“Every time the board gets a new member it changes and develops a personality that depends on who the board members are,” Howard said. “I see both of these new trustees as bringing a really constructive aspect to the board.”
During the meeting, trustees also heard constituent reports, accepted NIC's 2020 financial audit, Head Start Policies, and the Meyer Health and Sciences Building Expansion. The next scheduled meeting is tentatively set for Dec. 16.
