State Board names interim LCSC prez

Here’s a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The state Board of Education has appointed Lewis-Clark State College Provost Tony Fernandez to temporarily replace outgoing president Dene Thomas. During a special meeting on Monday, the board voted unanimously to appoint Fernandez as interim president. He will start July 1 with a yearly salary of $162,654. Several faculty members at Lewis-Clark State College have lobbied the board to appoint Fernandez to the position permanently and skip the cost of a presidential search to replace Thomas. At the end of June, Thomas will resign and leave Idaho to become the next president of Fort Lewis College in Colorado. Board President Richard Westerberg says the board will conduct a search to replace Thomas permanently, forgoing the expense of a firm. Fernandez, should he apply, will be considered for the role.

The Lewiston Tribune reported in March that Thomas will make $236,000 annually in her new job as president of Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colo., while her current salary at LCSC is $162,000.