Moore likely to be OK’d as Henderson college chief Friday

Thursday, Dec. 16, 1999 | 11:11 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Richard Moore, president of the Community College of Southern Nevada, on Friday is expected to be named founding president of the proposed four-year state college in Henderson at a salary of $175,000.

The Board of Regents of the University and Community College System of Nevada has scheduled a special meeting in Las Vegas to be televised to Reno to formally make the decision. Board Chairwoman Jill Derby said, "There is a lot of support on the board for Dr. Moore."

Moore currently makes $145,000 a year.

A presidential search committee, headed by Regent Mark Alden, on Dec. 10 unanimously recommended Moore be given the job rather than conducting a national search.

"If you do a national search, it's six months after you hire the individual that you find out if he's doing a good job," Derby said. Moore would start work on Jan. 15.

Derby said Moore knows Clark County, has a good record at the community college and can get the Henderson school "off to a rousing start."

Interim Chancellor Tom Anderes and Derby will be at CCSN on Jan. 12 to hear from the leadership, the faculty and anyone else who wants to make suggestions on a replacement for Moore.

She had no comment on who might be the favorite to succeed Moore. "This is going to be an open process," she said. She said she and Anderes will make a recommendation on the new CCSN president to the regents at their Jan. 13-14 meeting in Las Vegas.

Moore will work with university officials and a legislative committee headed by Assembly Majority Leader Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, in developing the goals and the budget for the school, which preliminarily bears the name of Nevada State College.

Perkins said Moore, if he is selected, will be "the lead person to advocate for the institution. He will formulate a mission and direction, be involved in the site location and participate at the table when the system goes through the budget hearing as an equal partner with other presidents."

Starting classes will depend on whether the school can find temporary quarters in partnership with UNLV or CCSN or some other arrangement or if the college has to construct new buildings.

The best-case scenario, Perkins said, is that classes could start in September 2001. That would come about if the Legislature approves a budget and the college is able to locate temporary housing. If it is forced to build its own classrooms initially, its start-up time will take longer, he said.

There has been no decision on whether the college would start with just a freshman class and then add a level each year. Or it might start with freshmen and sophomore classes.

Perkins is not worried about losing Moore before classes begin. The 62-year-old Moore told the selection committee he's got five or so years before retirement. Perkins said that Moore or anybody who is chosen as president would get into the project and want to complete it.

There are plenty of private pledges of financial support for the college, Perkins said, but the potential donors won't come up with the cash until they are sure the state will approve the school.

The 1999 Legislature gave Perkins' committee $500,000 for the study. He said Moore's salary will be paid out of that. That budget will also finance support staff and consultants. And the committee may visit other state colleges to get an idea of which direction the Henderson college should go.

Asked about possible athletic teams, Perkins said he's concentrating on academics first. The regents meeting is at 11 a.m. Friday at the conference room at the system administration at 5550 W. Flamingo Road, Suite C-1.