So, I followed through on my threat/promise to go to the forums for the chief of governmental and community relations interviews this afternoon. I typed up some notes on both Jon Cool and Felicia Wasson, but I don’t think what I typed up was particularly interesting. So, here’s a few bullet point impressions instead.
- I’m pretty sure I was the only faculty type at both presentations.
- These forums were held in Welch 205. I had thought that they were being held in room 205 of the student center, but that’s the men’s room, so I realized I was wrong about that.
- The crowds were small, like eight or so people for Jon Cool and maybe a dozen for Felicia Wasson. The questions were general, and the answers were kind of vague. Generally. Vaguely.
- I did meet EMUTalk.org regular, “Alum.” I’ll keep his identity to myself, but a nice guy.
- I didn’t get the impression that either of these candidates was hand-picked by anyone on the board of regents or that there was anything particularly corrupt about this process, despite the fears expressed here earlier. I could be wrong about this, but neither Cool nor Wasson seemed like some kind of hack.
- At the end of the day, I thought both of them would probably be okay, but I agree with Alum that Wasson in that forum was clearly the better choice. I do agree with Alum’s comment that Wasson was a much MUCH better choice, based on this presentation. But….
- … I think either of these folks has big shoes to fill. The legacy of Freeman Hendrix in this position loomed large to me. I was talking with a suited colleague between the Cool and Wasson sessions, and we were discussing how neither one of us really knew what this position was about before Hendrix came on the scene. So that means that whoever we hire is going to be compared to him.
- As I was leaving, I talked with Alum a bit outside of Welch. The obvious choice from this forum was Wasson. Which means they might end up hiring Cool. So we’ll see.
And before Freeman Hendrix, I couldn’t tell you who had the position, except that Juanita Reid had it at one point and Doris Komblevitz had it for several years before she was fired. One thing Doris did well was purchase shoes.
Juanita Reid held the job for many years, and was fired by John Fallon. Her title was I think VP for University Relations. One of the things Ms. Reid did in that job was to called state legislators who criticized the construction of the University House “liars” — not a smooth move, to say the least. Politicians have long memories, and the facts abundantly revealed that it was EMU officials, not legislators, who were lying about that construction project. If my memory serves, Juanita held the job for over a decade of on the job training, during which she never rose to a D average in job performance. When she was fired, she filed a bogus discrimination lawsuit and extorted a settlement from EMU for, I think, $140,000.
John Fallon didn’t replace Juanita Reid after her dismissal.
Dr. Higbee, I don’t think she had a full ten years in. If I recall, she started either in 1996 or 1999. But one of the major reasons cited by some university officials was that she never succeeded in securing funding for major projects for Mark J or Pray-Harrold. I think that was the primary job of the UR VP.
Hi Jim,
Well, I am sure that Fallon fired Reid, and then hired Freman Hendrix. Freman did not get the same title as Reid (she was VP for University Relations), but Freman did have the responsibilities of EMU’s chief government relations officer. And, unlike Juanita, he was highly qualified for the job. I think Juanita was fired -in fall 05 and Freman hired about a year later.
Juanita had worked at EMU for man years, having started in some entry level position, and was made VP I am pretty sure by Bill Shelton, the university president in the 1990s. Juanita had no success in Lansing. Maybe she wasn’t VP for a whole 10 years, but I think so. That fact could be checked. Pretty sure she was VP by 95 or 96.
I recall hearing her once speak of the “congress” in Lansing and of the difficulties of dealing with “the state congress.” I recall too her actively discouraging EMU faculty members from communicating with legislators, for fear that we’d not properly represent the University. Maybe she was afraid we’d talk mention to legislators something about the the state “legislature,” instead of the “congress.”
Once Juanita, speaking to a legislative appropriations committee with then interim president Craig Willis, summarizing EMU’s request for state funds, made a mistake – orally and in writing – in that she and her staff said EMU wanted so many “billions” from the state when they meant “millions.” Legislators kindly asked if the request for so many “billions” was correct, and she and the president affirmed that it was. EMU even had a big poster with the billions figure on it! It took the EMU people there some time to realize that they were asking for a sum greater than the whole economy of the state of Michigan.
Staff work like that is what got EMU into one crisis after another and a long cycle of incompetent management. Ms Reid was, to be fare, as much the product as the cause of these managerial problems.
Okay, you’re right. My mistake. I was basically saying they didn’t fill the University Relations VP position, but technically Freman Hendrix filled that role with a different title.
Sitedad,
The reality is we don’t know anything about the relationship between the finalists and the Hawks and Wilbanks families. What we do know is Roy and Gary were trying their damndest to rig the search until our alumni called them out on it. Why was the administration forced to abruptly form a new search committee if everything had been legit??
It is also naive to think professional lobbyists like Kirk Profit and Mike Hawks can’t recruit qualified applicants among their own close network of friends and associates. As I said before, I have had conversations with people who actually know what’s going on here; NOT intuition or speculation but useful inside information. This is about Roy and Gary wanting control of that office and having their handpicked hire select Mike and Kirk’s firm to represent EMU in Lansing. They tried before; they were trying again. Only time will tell if the succeeded.
What happened to this job? Does anybody know anything? If it goes to much longer I assume it could be a failed search, or perhaps they will announce someone more to their liking.
They decided to not hire either of the two final candidates. They want a more “star power” candidate (ie: hand picked)
Really? anon, is this based on anything or just speculation? If they went through this search process and then someone gets picked who wasn’t interviewed, well, that’s pretty f-ed up.
Any semi-reliable information out there?
My comment is not based on speculation. My () comment about “hand picking” is my opinion. I’m not sure how you get a big name in that position without it being a hand picked choice (ie: not from a stack a resumes)
LOL!! Typical of the Ypsi Mafia! I’m betting anon is right. It fits the pattern of what has happened to so many jobs at EMU in the past. Who could it be this time? Hmmmm. F’d up is the best description for the process. What I can’t stand is the fact that they make a mockery of the process.
Anon:
A little help. I’ve been racking my brain in regard to who they might pull out of a hat. The only old pol that has spent time in the State House and local politics around here, who’s out of a job, is Ruth Anne Jamnick. Hmmm. Perhaps a possibility? What do you think?