I’ve had a couple of requests from various people at Green Mountain College to establish a kind of independently-run forum where the faculty, staff, and students can all have a place to weigh in on the college’s search for a new President. ‘Cause I’m a sucker for any request having to do with this website, what else could I do but oblige?

So, without further adieu, here they are, the final four candidates for the post of College President at Green Mountain College.

Don Bantz

“Don Bantz is currently the Academic Vice President and Provost of Evergreen State College located in Olympia, Washington. Prior to his appointment as Provost, Dr. Bantz served as the academic budget dean at Evergreen and was a member of the Evergreen faculty focusing principally on the Master of Public Administration degree. Dr Bantz has also worked with several non profit organizations principally in Alaska. He is a graduate of Fullerton State University and earned a Masters and a Ph.D in public administration from the University of Southern California. Dr. Bantz will visit the College on February 20, 2008.”

• Read his full CV, which contains detailed information relevant to what he hopes to accomplish at Green Mountain College.
• Read an interview with Don Bantz, conducted by Evergreen College.

Paul Fonteyn

“Paul J Fonteyn is the Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Prior to his position at U Mass Boston, Dr. Fonteyn was the Dean, Graduate Studies, Associate Vice President for research and sponsored programs and Interim Director of Development at San Francisco State University. He has also been Associate Vice President for Research and Sponsored Programs and Professor of Biology at Southwest Texas State University. He is a graduate of the University of San Francisco and earned an M.S. and Ph.D in Biology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Dr Fonteyn will visit the College on February 19, 2008.”

• Read his full CV, in which he writes, “What draws me to GMC first and foremost is its mission. I have a deep and personal commitment to the environment and, as importantly, to instilling in individuals a sense of personal responsibility for their immediate and global environment.
• Read an article in UMass’s independent newspaper about Mr. Fonteyn.

Robert Huntington

“Robert J Huntington is an executive with 21 years of experience at Dunkin’ Brands, where is has served in a wide variety of roles, including strategic planning, organizational learning and development, new business development and brand management and marketing. He has also been a trustee at Lasell College for 10 years with involvement in board committees dealing with academic affairs, finance and institutional advancement. He graduated from Middlebury College (Phi Beta Kappa) and additionally earned an M.A. in German Literature from Middlebury. Dr. Huntington received his M.B.A from the Tuck School at Dartmouth College and earned an Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration from Harvard University. He will visit the College on February 18, 2008.”

• Read his full CV, which includes a recommendation from the Director of Higher Education at Harvard, who writes, “[Robert] has the personal and professional characteristics that make him a strong and caring leader. Above all, he has a deep, long-standing commitment to higher education, valuing it for all that it has been and can be, and having the vision and leadership to move it to the next level of achievement.”
• I haven’t found anything else on the web about him, but if you do, leave it in the comments.

Graziella Saccon

“Graziella Saccon is the Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs at the College of New Rochelle. Earlier, she was the Director of Academic Technology and E-Learning at Marist College. Dr Saccon was also an Assistant Professor of Romance Linguistics at the University of Texas at Austin. She also worked as a senior linguist and software developer for a publisher of multi lingual electronic books. Dr. Saccon is a graduate of the University of Florida (Phi Beta Kappa). Additionally, she has earned an M.S. in Linguistics from the University of Florida and was awarded a Ph.D. in Linguistics from Harvard University. Dr. Saccon will visit the College on February 21, 2008.”

• Read her full CV, in which she writes, “I would feel honored to belong to a group of faculty, trustees, and administrators who believe so strongly in the organization’s mission to give it all they can to make it succeed. I see in Green Mountain the commitment to solid values, firmly rooted in the respect for the environment, and I embrace your endeavors to improve global social responsibility.”
• And again, I haven’t found much on the web, so if you do, please add it to the comments.

And that’s it folks, your final candidates. I encourage you to read their CVs, and if you’re able, attend the campus-wide meetings next week where each candidate will address the community as a whole. Then come back here and let everyone know what you think. Who knows? Maybe your opinion will sway the search committee.