NIC finalists make their case
A college administrator devoted to higher education and an entrepreneur with a deep background in business and education. That’s how the two finalists for North Idaho College president presented themselves to the approximately 85 people who listened to them speak Thursday.
Leah Bornstein, chief executive officer at Colorado Mountain College’s Summit campus, spoke of her accomplishments during her career in higher education administration, touting successful programs she helped launch and initiatives in which she took part.
“My entire profession, my career, my love is higher education,” said Bornstein, 42. “I’m broad and deep with regard to my higher education background.”
Ronald Kraft, 55, focused on his background in business and education, and discussed how the two mesh.
“I’m a growth-oriented person; I’m an entrepreneurial person,” said Kraft, who served as president and chief executive officer of the Washington State Community and Technical Colleges Alliance for Corporate Education from 2004 until January.
He called himself “not a traditional candidate” because of his blended background. He taught at a high school for 10 years and worked for a private company after teaching at the community college level. He spent 6 ½ years at the company and learned the insides of private business, Kraft said.
“For me, a community college is the perfect place to be,” Kraft said, because it has such a blend of components: athletics, academics, professional-technical education.
A self-described “family guy,” Kraft said it’s important for people in leadership positions like a college president to be involved in the community but also to find a balance between work and personal life. He said he earned the nickname of “bridge builder” in his past jobs and thinks every person on campus – from instructors to custodians to groundskeepers – has a leadership role on campus.
Each candidate spoke for about 15 minutes before chatting with audience members.
Bornstein described working with faculty at Colorado Mountain College, where she oversees a branch campus, to add a faculty chair position. She discussed planning a capital campaign from the grassroots level through public forums and surveys.
When talking with NIC faculty and staff after her presentation, Bornstein said she has broad experience with professional-technical programs. She fielded questions about building partnerships and recruiting faculty, with “strategic planning” coming up often in her answers.
“I actually love strategic planning,” she said.
NIC’s board of trustees will meet in executive session today to discuss Kraft and Bornstein and review comments submitted by faculty and staff. Four semifinalists selected by a 22-member search committee could still be considered for the position if the board rules neither candidate suitable for the job, said NIC spokesman Kent Propst. He expects the board to make a decision in the next few weeks.