Board extends president’s term for second year

Interim MHCC President Michael Hay’s contract was extended until June 2013 by the district board Wednesday night.

Though Hay’s contract extension was never mentioned verbally at the meeting, it was approved as a part of the consent agenda at the beginning of the meeting, along with a variety of “housekeeping” measures.

Asked why the contract extension was not given its own item instead of including it in the consent agenda, chairman Dave Shields said, “No particular reason. We had previously decided to extend his contract.”

Sara Williams, president of the faculty association who was present at the meeting, said, “It was a little bit unusual that rather than a description of the contract parameters in the board packet, they had a contact to view the public record. I thought that was a little odd.”

Asked if she felt Hay’s extension approval was underplayed at the Wednesday board meeting, Williams said, “I don’t feel it’s a contentious issue because they discussed extending Hay’s contract at the September board retreat and at the November board meeting, as reflected in the minutes for those sessions.”

The board agenda states that chairman Shields, as a representative of the board, negotiated the terms of the contract with Hay in December and that all parties agreed to the contract, extending Hay’s presidency to June 13, 2013.
The idea to extend Hay’s contract was first presented at a board retreat in September, where board member Rod Monroe suggested that the board extend Hay’s contract for two years.

The board took a vote, and all but Bob Coen reached a consensus in favor of pursuing a contract extension with Hay. At the time of the retreat, Coen said he did not know enough to make a decision about Hay’s extension.

Hay’s contract extension was then discussed during the board meeting in November, where Shields and other board members spoke of their satisfaction with Hay’s performance and publically announced their intention to extend his contract for two years.

At the meeting, board member Brian Freeman, in regards to extending Hay’s presidency said, “(Hay) is providing the institutional knowledge, stability and vision we need to navigate through the next couple of years.”

“The board is quite pleased with his leadership, and believes that it affords us the opportunity and continuity to deliberate more carefully on the subject of a long-term Presidential recruitment. In our January retreat we will determine what our challenges are, and what it is we may need in a future president.”

“We don’t feel pressed or pressured to find a new president,” said Freeman, adding, “We’re confident in (Hay’s) ability to lead the college. Having him remain for two years, with his consent, would be good for the college,” he said.

In an interview in November, Shields said the board felt it necessary to extend Hay’s contract in order to allow more time to find a permanent replacement.

“It allows the board some breathing room,” he said.

Shields said the next step for the board would be to establish the criteria for an ideal president when they begin their search for a permanent presidential replacement.

Those wishing to review the contract, which is a public document, may do so by contacting Mara Kershaw, chief human resources officer, at 503-491-7681 or at [email protected].