Nic Trustee Candidates Vie For Tough Jobs Growing Enrollment, One Percent Initiative Present Challenges

Finding enough money to adequately operate North Idaho College is the biggest challenge identified by the four people who want to join its board of trustees.

The two who are elected will have their work cut out for them.

The lakeside community college is growing rapidly. Current board members believe that money to support it will shrink dramatically if voters approve the 1 percent property tax limitation initiative on Nov. 5.

The NIC trustee election is the same day. The candidates are seeking six-year, unpaid terms on the five-person board.

They will represent Kootenai County taxpayers, who provide nearly half of the college’s funding, said outgoing chairman Norm Gissel. The board’s job is to set policy, and to hire and fire the president.

“I’m surprised by the collective strength of all four people running,” Gissel said of the candidates.

Steve Widmyer is the only person seeking Gissel’s seat, although he could face write-in opposition.

Jim Kimball, Dave Paquin and Barbara Chamberlain are seeking the position held by Betty McLain, who also is stepping down.

Here’s a summary of their background and positions:

Chamberlain, 33, served in the Idaho House of Representatives from 1990-92 and the Idaho Senate from 1992-94. “My legislative experience will be especially useful as we go to bat for the money we need” to run NIC, she said.

Chamberlain owns PageWorks Publication Services, a book editing and production firm. She is president of the board of directors of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates). A graduate of Washington State University, she is working toward a master’s degree in public administration through Eastern Washington University.

She’s taught at NIC. Her major goals for the school, she said, are affordability and accessibility for students.

The college should continue its strong partnership with businesses through the Workforce Training Center, she said, but should not “neglect the basic education that everyone needs.”

The 50-year-old Kimball holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering. A former employee of the Idaho Division of Environmental Quality, he has operated his own firm, Kimball Engineering, since 1984. He specializes in environmental projects such as waste-water treatment plants.

“Running a small business like this, you learn to optimize,” he said. “You can’t afford to waste.”

“NIC is an $18 million business,” he said, referring to the school’s annual budget. His experience with municipal budgets and federal grant programs would be valuable, he said.

Kimball said colleges need to emphasize analytical abilities and practical applications, rather than rote memorization. He thinks students should be interviewed a year or two after graduation, to see how well prepared they were for employment.

Kimball is on the board of Hayden United Ministries, is a member of the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Posse and is past president of the Kootenai Saddle Club.

Paquin, 41, is chief operating officer for Agency One, a company that sells specialized computer software to insurance companies.

He has a campaign platform dubbed “STARS.” Its five points are: treating students like customers; giving teachers more recognition; marketing the athletic programs so they are embraced by the community; responsible fiscal management, and strengthening ties with businesses through curriculum design and job placement.

If proper training is available, he said, “there’s a big future in this community to support high-tech industry.”

Paquin is working on a doctorate degree at the University of Idaho. He has a master’s degree in education and has taught in various university and industry technical programs. He also teaches part time at NIC, which he could not continue to do if elected.

Widmyer, 36, is the only trustee candidate who’s graduated from NIC.

“A couple of the best years of my life were spent going to NIC,” he said. “I don’t know if I’d have been able to go to college right out of high school if it hadn’t been there.”

Widmyer also is a UI graduate. For 10 years, he’s been controller for Hagadone Hospitality, which includes The Coeur d’Alene Resort. His expertise in managing a multimillion-dollar business will be especially helpful on the board, he said.

“It’s going to be a very difficult financial future,” he predicted.

Widmyer recently served on an athletic review committee for NIC. The school needs to provide more opportunities for women and broaden its athletic programs for all students, he said.

The trustee candidates were free to run for either open position. Widmyer is running unopposed because Gordon Andrea dropped out of the race.

Andrea withdrew when he learned that his wife couldn’t continue teaching at NIC if he were elected. When Kimball and Chamberlain entered the race, Andrea still was in the running, so they signed up to challenge Paquin.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: CANDIDATES FORUM Voters can meet the candidates at an Oct. 10 forum sponsored by NIC students. It starts at 6:30 p.m. in the student union building.