CCD PARES FIELD OF CANDIDATES DOWN TO 5
By Bill Scanlon, Rocky Mountain News
Rocky Mountain News, CO
Nov 13 2007
Post vacated when president was fired
A search committee has named five semifinalists for the presidency
of Community College of Denver.
One of the five will be the permanent replacement for Christine
Johnson, who was ousted in June after she allegedly directed her
finance officer to shield the size of the college’s reserve fund. An
audit found financial mismanagement and sloppiness.
The U.S. Department of Education is investigating CCD to see if it
awarded financial aid to ineligible students, including illegal
immigrants. Johnson had been a champion of finding a place in
college for first-generation immigrants and people from working-
class families.
The five semifinalists, who will visit the campus Thursday and
Friday, are:
~U Dr. Karen Clos-Bleeker, vice president of educational services
and chief academic officer of Temple College in Texas and a speaker
on academic dishonesty.
~U Dr. Lawrence M. Cox, provost of Stark State College of Technology
in Canton, Ohio, who was named one of two finalists last month for
the presidency at Shawnee Community College in Ullin, Ill., but was
not named to the post.
~U Dr. Algie C. Gatewood, president of the Cascade campus of Portland
Community College in Oregon.
~U Dr. Steve Maradian, retired president of Los Angeles City College
and the first Armenian- American to hold the post. Maradian was
formerly vice president for government relations at the American
University of Armenia.
~U Bob Rizzuto, formerly vice president for finance and administration
at Colorado State University, a job he began in April. Prior to going
to CSU, Rizzuto served as interim president of Pikes Peak Community
College. From 2004 to 2006, he served as chief administrative officer
for Colorado Northwestern Community College.
Barbara McDonnell has been serving as interim president at CCD.
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