By Dusan Vuksanovic
Chemistry professor Sue Sutheimer and sustainability coordinator Jesse Pyles were one of the faculty and staff representatives that worked on the Search Committee for the new Green Mountain College President. The search officially ended on February 29th, when the Committee chose Dr. Paul Fonteyn to be the next President. Sutheimer and Pyles talked to The Mountaineer about how the process went, and shared their thoughts on Dr. Fonteyn.
M’NEER: What’s the difference between Dr. Fonteyn and Jack Brennan?
SUTHEIMER: (laughter) Jack Brennan always looks nice, his tie is straight … he stands up straight, he talks wonderfully extemporaneously. Paul Fonteyn came [to the Town meeting] with his suit open, his hands were in his pockets, and he was leaning against the wall … He seems more casual.
PYLES: [At the Town meeting] Jack stood up, made his address, and sat down, and Paul Fonteyn stood up in front of the crowd, put his hand on his hip, and was leaning against a post. That’s the difference!
MOUNTAINEER: Now that the search is done, what’s it like returning to your every day school business?
SUTHEIMER: The search was wonderful, and I got to know people that I was familiar with better. Coming down off of that, it’s a good feeling, but I miss the camaraderie.
PYLES: It’s tough, because I was so outside of realm of my usual work, so I had to put a lot of things on hold. I was able to try to keep up with the small projects … but none of the big things that needed to get done had any progress.
M’NEER: Which part of the search did you like the most, and which one was the hardest for you?
SUTHEIMER: There was a process set up, and I really respected Bob Allen, who was the head of the Search Committee. He followed the process, and he didn’t deviate from what we were supposed to do … The hardest was way too many sleepless nights. I had a lot of concern for the College. All of us did!
PYLES: The Chair of Committee (Bob Allen) was incredible of running a very efficient process … As a staff member, there wasn’t a staff specific meeting time with the final candidates, and that piece was kind of problematic.
M’NEER: How did you feel about the final four candidates?
SUTHEIMER: I definitely feel that we have picked the top four out of the class. They stood out from the others – their background, their past experiences in raising funds, their business know-how, strong education background – you know the things we would expect [in a candidate].
PYLES: I think that they were all qualified for the position in very different ways. I have to believe that anyone of the four could have done the job, but that each of them would have done it in different ways.
M’NEER: Who was your favorite?
SUTHEIMER: I don’t think that I’m allowed to tell you that. (laughter)
PYLES: I have a particular affinity for Evergreen’s program, and Don Bantz was experienced with the Evergreen program … But, I had to separate him from Evergreen in order to take him seriously, in the same way that all of us needed to separate Rob Huntington from Dunkin Donuts.
M’NEER: What were the specific reasons that brought Dr. Paul Fonteyn the job of Green Mountain College President?
SUTHEIMER: For sure his experience! Wonderful background, higher education, wonderful fundraising, very personal, and good teaching experience. Those are just among the many.
PYLES: Most people who responded to me said that he obviously had a great deal of administrative experience, and was focused on student learning … He’s an administrator and an experienced faculty person as well.
M’NEER: What are his weaknesses?
SUTHEIMER: I don’t think I’m going to answer that question. I think maybe I see a few, but I still don’t want them to be blown up in The Mountaineer.
PYLES: I think that one of the challenges that he faces is coming from bigger institutions to focus on a small place, and from running some pretty serious research programs to refocusing his attention on teaching enterprises.
M’NEER: What are the improvements and the novelties that Green Mountain is going to see when Dr. Fonteyn takes office?
SUTHEIMER: I think his biggest concern is the retention rate, and I think that he will be looking at that both from Student Life side … as well as from what faculty and staff … can do to help the students.
PYLES: What became clear to me … was that he really embraces the Strategic Plan that we’ve already put in place. I think that we will see him trying to address the improvements in the Plan … academic quality, and increasing enrollment, which is debated by many people.
M’NEER: Will you miss Jack Brennan being President and main honcho around?
SUTHEIMER: I don’t want to see Jack go, but this is a good time for change. We are financially stable, we are growing. It’s a good time.
PYLES: Absolutely! … He’s done a good job recently at being aware of and recognizing the efforts of various members of this community; lowly staffed people like myself, as well as recognized and achieved faculty members and student efforts.
M’NEER: Do you think that Dr. Fonteyn will be able to fill out Mr. Brennan’s shoes appropriately?
SUTHEIMER: Yeah, sure!
PYLES: I don’t know, he looks a little taller than Jack.
