Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Ivy Tech Snubs D'Amico

Ivy Tech Vice President Carol D'Amico was thought by many to be a shoo-in for the president's job being vacated by Gerald Lamkin, but a search committee has rejected her application. Instead, it has chosen businessman Thomas Snyder and Col. Thomas Klincar of the Community College of the Air Force as the two finalists for the school's community college board to choose between at its March 22 board meeting. The Star's Andy Gammill reports:

Search committee members rejected the application of Ivy Tech Executive Vice President Carol D'Amico, long seen as a rising star at the statewide community college system.

The only two finalists who will be presented to the board for a vote March 22 are Thomas Snyder, an Indiana businessman, and Col. Thomas D. Klincar, who runs the Community College of the Air Force, said Jess Brand, chair of the search committee. They were chosen from among 38 applicants.

Ivy Tech's next president will lead the college as it finishes evolving into a leader of workforce development and becomes a key bridge between Indiana's blue-collar past and what state officials hope is a future as a high-tech incubator.

D'Amico's backers say her experience in the state makes her an excellent candidate and say the two finalists' academic credentials are less impressive. D'Amico said she had wanted the job but remains committed to Ivy Tech.

"Naturally I'm disappointed I wasn't identified as one of the finalists for the position," she said.

Whoever the board chooses, I hope the new president changes the school's long-time practice under Gerald Lamkin of hiring key legislators for high-paid, cushy jobs. Under Lamkin's tenure, the school hired four state lawmakers, including former Senate President Pro Tempore Robert Garton, Speaker Pat Bauer, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Bill Crawford and Rep. Craig Fry.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

You're right, AI, the practice must be stopped. Good luck finding someone with the guts to do it. Are you willing to tell Pat Bauer he has lost his $80,000-a-year job which basically does nothing?

And for what it's worth, Ms. D'Amico's reputation is not as sterling as presented. Ask some of the people who've worked for her, or worked with her on various projects.

Word has it the governor wanted her out. He may have gotten this one right.

Gary R. Welsh said...

On Indiana Lawmakers this past weekend, D'Amico could not have been a bigger cheerleader for Daniels' Brain Drain proposal, along with retiring Purdue President Jischke.

Anonymous said...

Seems that hiring powerful legislators has worked out very nicely for IVY Tech.

With state money they have become one of the largest colleges in our state, have grown to over 22 campuses, and have gotten their college credits transferable to IU, Purdue, & Ball State since they bought key legislators.

This political influence has even Mitch Daniel's supporting their expansion with more funding.

Anonymous said...

My Purdue-bound daughter took two math classes at Ivy Tech in the last year. She received a C and a B.

Only the B transferred, and she was woefully unprepared for the rigors of a collegiate-level math class.

Draw your own conclusions.

Those Ivy Tech classes cost me almost a grand.

Anonymous said...

Anon 259, you should be pointing the fingers at your high schools for not preparing your daughters for higher education.

As someone who got an associate degree and then went to get my bachelors degree from the SAME INSTITUTION, I had to fight for everything I took to be accepted and even then it wasn't - and it was their program!!!

Transferring from one school to another does not guarantee everything will be accepted. They all see the $$$ $igns and want it to be taken (or coming in to) thier facilities.

Anonymous said...

As a former employee of Carol D'Amico, I can honestly say she is by far the most qualified candidate. Carol expects results, not excuses. I understand some former employees didn't like working for her...they didn't like to work. period.
..look behind the curtain, Lamkin couldnt find his way to the mens room without help....