For the first time, the Utah Board of Regents has released for public scrutiny the names of finalists for a college presidency.
Four finalists for president of the new Utah College of Applied Technology were released Friday. They are: Robert A. Anderson Jr., president, Colorado Northwestern Community College, Rangley; Michael J. Bouwhuis, superintendent, Davis Applied Technology Center, Kaysville; Robert O. Brems, associate superintendent and state director of applied technology at the Utah State Office of Education; and Gregory G. Fitch, executive director, Idaho State Board of Education.
"I was very pleased by both the quality and quantity of candidates from within Utah and outside of the state," said regent Maria Sweeten, who headed the 10-member presidential search committee.
The bill creating the college was passed in a June a special legislative session, ending a long-standing applied technology education turf battle between public and higher education.
The bill required regents to publicize finalists' names. The list was pared from 46 to five by Aug. 15 but wasn't released until after House Speaker Marty Stephens, R-Farr West, chided Higher Education Commissioner Cecelia Foxley for withholding it.
Regents traditionally guard names of finalists for college or university presidencies to allow them to apply without fear of jeopardizing current jobs.
Foxley had said two finalists were reluctant to have their names announced. In fact, one finalist withdrew before the announcement. Sweeten didn't know why.
But some legislators and others believe the public has a right to
consider people who will control public spending and policy. The Society of Professional Journalists for years has unsuccessfully argued to open up the secretive process, most recently in 1997 before the State Records Committee. Several other states publicize finalists' names.
Regents could name the president as early as Thursday.
Details on the finalists:
Anderson, who has worked at Colorado Northwestern Community College since 1995, has Utah roots.
The Tooele High alumnus earned a bachelor's degree in elementary education at Southern Utah University and master's and doctorate degrees at the University of Utah.
Anderson, past superintendent of Richfield's Sevier Applied Technology Center, has been the executive vice chancellor at the Houston Community College System, president of New Mexico Junior College in Hobbs, and vice president and dean of instruction at Northland Pioneer College in Holbrook, Ariz.
Bouwhuis, director of the Davis Applied Technology Center, earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from Weber State University and a master's in education from Brigham Young University.
The Layton resident was employed early in his career by the state of Utah in a program that encouraged welfare clients to get into jobs.
He also worked for the Division of Rehabilitation before becoming affiliated with the Ogden Skills Center, ultimately absorbed by the Ogden-Weber ATC. He was special program coordinator, recruiting high school seniors to participate in the applied technology training offered at the school.
He is active in community organizations including the Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club and served on the Layton Arts Council.
Brems has spent the past 22 years promoting applied technology education in Utah as a teacher, school district administrator and, since 1993, as associate state superintendent.
He earned a bachelor's degree in industrial teacher education and a master's degree in industrial technology and education at Utah State. He completed coursework on, but never finished, a doctorate in education administration.
Fitch has experience leading colleges and statewide educational systems, now as outgoing executive director of the Idaho State Board of Education.
He has bachelor's and master's degrees in English from Kansas' Washburn University and Emporia State University, respectively. He earned a doctorate of administration and curriculum from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
He has been chancellor of Mid-Plains Community College Area in North Platte, Neb., and is a former foundation board member. He was president of Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake, Wash., and Seminole Junior College in Oklahoma, and served on the board of the Idaho Council for Technical Learning.
Fitch last month resigned from his job of four years, effective Dec. 31. He said the board, which oversees public and higher education, is different from the one that hired him and he wanted it to find a director of its own.
Contributing: Jeffrey P. Haney
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