St. Michael's College President John J. Neuhauser had filled his cabinet this year by adding three new women vice presidents this summer. Karen Talentino took over as vice president of academic affairs, Nancy Brock as vice president of finance, and Cheryl Stanley as vice president of institutional advancement. However, Stanley recently resigned to take a position at her previous place of employment.
Pulling together
For the first time since becoming president last year, Neuhauser was working with a full cabinet of vice presidents.
"I was very impressed with her...I'm very sorry to see her go. It's a very important position and we'll need to replace her with someone who can fill that role."
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- Karen Talentino, vice president of academic affairs |
Cheryl Stanley had started last February in institutional advancement, according to Michael New, vice president of human resources. Stanley recently resigned to take advantage of a business opportunity offered to her by Semple Bixel Associates.
"I think [Stanley] felt it was a wonderful opportunity," New says.
Talentino understands the severity of the situation.
"I was very impressed with her... I'm very sorry to see her go," Talentino says. "It's a very important position and we'll need to replace her with someone who can fill that role."
Landers says, "One of the great things about St. Mike's is that whenever anything happens we pull together," Landers says. "So if somebody leaves, somebody else will pick up and help out until that position gets filled. That's just the way St. Mike's does it, we always have."
Talentino thinks that the president will likely have an internal personal fill the role until St. Michael's can find the right candidate.
"These VP searches do take time," New says, and that the search to fill the vice president position that Stanley just vacated lasted about six months. "Six months is probably about as long as we want to spend on one of these searches; I'm hoping we do it a little quicker," he adds.
Let the search begin
St. Michael's College hired a search firm, Korn/Ferry International, to find qualified candidates for the three available vice president positions, Brock says.
The search firm collected resumes from across the country and selected the most distinguished candidates and presented them to St. Michael's faculty search committees, Talentino says.
"We had search committees involved in each one of the hires," New says.
Talentino went through a series of interviews before being narrowed down to three final candidates, she says. Each finalist was invited to the college for a two-day interview. The faculty made recommendations to President Neuhauser, who made the ultimate hiring decision.
"I was ready to be a vice president," Talentino says. "I'd been a dean for about 10 years, so I felt that I
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Vice president Talentino excited to join the St. Michael's community.
(Photo by Caily McDermott) |
had the experience and the qualifications needed to be a vice president."
"I found out about the position in at least a couple ways," Brock says.
Working in the field of higher education is a new experience for Brock. It’s a different place and a different rhythm, she says.
Brock hasn't worked in the nonprofit sector before, having being a CFO in banking, utility and retail industries, she says.
According to Brock, the hiring process took place over several months this summer, before she finally started on Aug. 1, Brock says.
Just getting started
Talentino and Brock have just started, so there haven't been too many noticeable changes in the St. Michael's community, according Landers, who has worked at St. Michael's for 27 years.
"Like with Karen [Talentino], she's listening a lot," Landers says. “I think that usually when people come into these positions, if they are smart, they'll take a period of time to listen before they do anything."
Talentino and Brock both have big plans for their time here at St. Michael's, they say.
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Vice president Brock has already started planning to improve the future of St. Michael's.
(Photo by Caily McDermott) |
Brock says that she is already busy helping to plan the budget for 2009-2010 school year, a change for her from the private sector, where planning a budget that far ahead is not that common.
Talentino is looking forward to accomplishing many goals, she says. Her primary focus will be helping develop a good strategic plan, and planning for St. Michael's re-accreditation which is coming up in 2010.
In addition, Talentino, who is also a former environmental scientist, is looking to enhance environmental studies programs and also encouraging stronger student-faculty research.
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