By Brooklyn Draisey, Iowa Capital Dispatch
Des Moines Area Community College has postponed presidential candidate campus visits after two of three finalists dropped out. (Photo courtesy of DMACC)
Des Moines Area Community College has postponed on-campus interviews for presidential search finalists due to candidates dropping out as President Rob Denson’s last days with the college grow closer.
Two of the three finalists set to head to campus for interviews “suddenly withdrew their names from consideration” to be chosen as DMACC’s next president, according to a Wednesday news release. DMACC Board President and presidential search committee chair Kevin Halterman said in an interview both candidates pulled out for personal reasons — “nothing that was alarming, just unfortunate for us.”
Halterman said in the release he feels good about the third candidate’s quality, but bringing only one finalist to campus wouldn’t allow the college community to consider different leadership styles and approaches when it comes to DMACC and their vision for the future. Candidates were supposed to come to campus in mid-October for interviews, he said.
“While this is a disappointing development for our search, we are committed to getting the right candidate, even if it takes longer than we’d originally planned,” Halterman said in the release.
Denson, DMACC’s current and longest-serving president, announced his retirement in January and set his last day for Dec. 30. The college board of directors will hold a special meeting online at 2 p.m. Friday to discuss the possibility of appointing an interim president after Denson’s departure if a new president hasn’t been selected, Halterman said in the interview.
Larry Ebbers, the search consultant hired by DMACC to help with the presidential search, will join the board at its Oct. 13 meeting to sketch out a plan going forward.
“Despite this temporary setback, we remain confident in the search process and the attractiveness of this job,” Halterman said in the release. “DMACC is a strong institution with outstanding students, faculty, and staff. They deserve another equally great president.”
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