vice president of college services finalist left to right: Charles Barkman, Dr. Conrad Krueger and Dr. Jerrel Wade. Photos by Kyle R. Cotton
Dean Conrad Kruger pulled his application before the decision.
By Kyle R. Cotton
kcotton11@student.alamo.edu
President Robert Vela has decided to continue the search for a new vice president of college services after this college’s executive team thought the remaining finalists lacked enough expertise in the institutional effectiveness responsibilities of the position.
Vela said today that after he met with his executive team Tuesday, it was decided to readvertise for a new pool of candidates.
Dr. Conrad Krueger, one of three finalists, had withdrawn from consideration before the decision to conduct a new search.
“Dr. Krueger removed his application … he did not want be considered,” Vela said.
Vela said the finalists were not proficient in performance excellence, a responsibility that falls to the vice president of college services.
“The piece they did not have is the Baldrige piece, that institutional effectiveness piece. So we really need to get a champion for institution effectiveness,” Vela said. “Dr. Krueger felt that’s not an area he wanted to lead. He was interested more in the construction, IT and all that — which I understand that — but that’s just one piece of that.”
Baldrige refers to the Baldrige Performance Excellence Award, a national award that the college is seeking.
Krueger pulled his application after discussing the position with Vela.
“He withdrew before we made a decision because he had more questions about it, and I wanted to let him know that this is really an area of focus for us,” Vela said. “We had two (other) applicants, and I just didn’t feel confortable that either of those could get us there on the institutional effectiveness.”
The other finalists were Charles Barkman, executive director of facilities at Freed Hardeman University in Henderson, Tenn., and Dr. Jerrel Wade, dean of administration at San Jacinto College-North campus in Houston.
Despite having hired Dr. Francisco Solis in August as dean of performance excellence, Vela said the vice president of college services sets the vision for those goals.
“Just like if you had a dean on the academic side, the vice president has to deal with the broader view,” Vela said.
“This position is evolving and our needs are getting more and more to where that’s the area we need. Dr. (Kristine) Clark (chief of integrated planning and performance excellence) isn’t going to be here forever,” Vela said. “She’s just doing this to put it together and get us through this. We still need that leader with that vision to get us through the institutional effectiveness journey.”
