Confederation College continues search to replacing outgoing president

Confederation College has big shoes to fill, but there are high hopes that a new president will be picked by the end of the school semester, says the president of the college's board of governors.

Outgoing president Pat Lang announced in September that she will step down from her post and enter a semi-retirement in July. Lang, who held the position for 10 years, said that the timing seemed right to step down.

Since the announcement, Confederation College board of governors has placed job postings across the country in search for potential presidential candidates.

The school’s board of governors president, Marilyn Gouthro, said it won’t be easy to replace the school’s longtime leader, but added that they do hope to have a new suitable president by the end of May.

"We’re moving forward and going everywhere that we possibly can in search of this new president," Gouthro said on Tuesday. "We’re looking for a very senior leader. Someone that has had a very proven record of leadership experience. We want them to have a very good understanding of what it means to lead an organization like a college. Those would be the technical and background skills, but we’re also looking for a visionary."

Further characteristics the new president will need include an ability to inspire people, commit to the community and understand Northwestern Ontario, she said.

The board of governors hired a firm that started a search for candidates in the fall. Job postings have already appeared in the Globe and Mail and other national media, she said. The board won’t begin interviews until they receive a list of all potential candidates from both the public and private sectors.

That list is expected sometime in April, she said.

At the time of her announcement, Lang said the timing was right for a new president.

"I think it would be a great time for a new president to come in and forge those relationships very early with our political leaders," she said. "We’ve got record enrolment numbers and with our new building opening, I think it’s a great time for a new president to come in commission (it)."