‘A critical moment’: North Idaho College trustees speak out before Nov. 5 election

COEUR d’ALENE — The fate of North Idaho College is in the hands of voters. 

That’s what NIC Trustees Brad Corkill and Tarie Zimmerman said Thursday when they addressed the North Idaho Federated Republican Women at Seasons of Coeur d’Alene.

The trustees, who said they were not speaking on behalf of the board, shared the latest developments about NIC’s efforts to return to good standing with its accreditor and fielded questions about where the college stands today. 

“It’s a critical moment,” Corkill said. 

With three out of five trustee positions up for election Nov. 5 and two incumbent trustees choosing not to run for reelection, the races could shift the balance of power on the NIC board. 

Since Fall 2022, trustees Greg McKenzie, Todd Banducci and Mike Waggoner have formed the majority bloc, and NIC landed in hot water with its accreditor. 

For example, in December 2022, the board majority voted to place NIC President Nick Swayne on indefinite administrative leave for no disciplinary reason and give his replacement, Greg South, an 18-month contract worth more than Swayne’s. 

The decision was one of several made by the board that caused the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities to place NIC on show cause status, the last step before loss of accreditation. The move also kicked off multiple lawsuits. Swayne was eventually returned to his position by court order. 

“The reason we are on show cause is because of board governance and solely because of board governance,” Zimmerman said Thursday. 

Corkill said his time as a college trustee stands in contrast to his experiences on other boards, such as the Idaho Fish and Game Commission and the Kellogg School Board. He alluded to the many chaotic board meetings that have occurred over the last two years. 

“This has been a nightmare,” he said. “You want to go into a meeting with the goal and the mission of creating an environment where people can come to the college and learn in an open and free atmosphere. That’s all we should be doing. It’s simple to do that. It’s been very frustrating.” 

McKenzie is the only member of the majority bloc who is looking to retain his seat. He’ll face Eve Knudtsen in Zone 4. 

William Lyons and Rick Durbin will square off for the Zone 3 seat currently occupied by Todd Banducci. A three-way race for Zone 5 is taking shape, with Leslie Duncan, Mary Havercroft and Michael Angiletta all running for the trustee position. 

Zimmerman and Corkill stopped short of endorsing any specific candidates Thursday, but they urged community members to choose wisely and consider what future iterations of the board might look like. 

“We must elect one new trustee who is sane and really wants to save the college from loss of accreditation,” Zimmerman said. “But we need all three. If we don’t get all three, we’ll be back here again in two years, because that’s when (Brad Corkill and I) are up for election and the board will be up to change again.” 

Corkill echoed the sentiment. 

“The trustee that is elected should be someone who is interested in education, not in any political bias,” he said. 

Havercroft and Knudtsen were in attendance and spoke briefly at the end of the meeting. 

“I have the background to be an effective part of the team,” Havercroft said, referring to her experience in public education as a classroom teacher, special services director and principal of Twin Lakes Elementary School. 

Knudtsen pointed to NIC’s role in the community and how it supports the workforce and regional economy. If NIC loses accreditation, she said, the community will lose thousands of jobs and millions of dollars. 

“I hope that we can solve this in the short term by electing one of us,” she said, referring to Havercroft and Durbin. “I hope we solve this in the long term by electing all three of us.” 

A North Idaho College trustee candidate forum is scheduled 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26, at the Salvation Army Kroc Center Theater. 

    Eve Knudtsen is running for the Zone 4 seat on the NIC board of trustees.
  

    Mary Havercroft is one of three candidates for the Zone 5 seat on the NIC board of trustees.