Moore: Henderson college post exciting opportunity

Shaunta Grimes

Monday, Dec. 20, 1999 | 11:30 a.m.

Dr. Richard Moore, 66, has been given a chance to bring his 35-year career as a school administrator full circle.

The state Board of Regents Friday chose Moore to be founding president of the proposed four-year college in Henderson.

Moore, who began his career in 1967 as the founding dean of instruction at a community college in Ventura, Calif., said spending the last years of his career starting the Henderson college is an exciting opportunity.

Moore, president of the Community College of Southern Nevada for five years, will be starting from scratch. The proposed Henderson college has no funding, no place to build a campus and doesn't even have an official name.

Moore will hold the position from Jan. 15, 2000, until June 30, 2001. His compensation package for those 18 months will total more than $300,000, eating up most of the $500,000 aloted by the 1999 Legislation to study opening a new college.

Moore's most important job will be to raise the funds needed to start a four-year program as early as September 2001.

The Board of Regents appointed Moore without considering any other applicants, prompting opposition from three regents.

"The whole idea of a search is to get someone qualified. We don't know how qualified Dr. Moore is," Regent David Phillips said.

Regents Tom Kirkpatrick and Steve Sisolak agreed, saying that the process of finding a founding president went too quickly.

Phillips said he doesn't have a problem with Moore, but he isn't sure that he is the best candidate because he hasn't been able to look at any others.

"I'd like to go down in history as one of the founding members of Henderson State College or whatever it's going to be called," Phillips said. "But I don't want to go down in history as a failure, I'd rather be late than a failure."

Other regents felt Moore's reputation in Clark County was enough to gain their confidence.

"He's a known candidate," said Regent Thalia Dondero. Dondero was on the ad hoc search committee and said she made her decision to recommend Moore based on his record in the community.

"If I were a candidate in another town they would have to check my records. I'm a very public figure here," Moore said about the speed of his appointment.

Kirkpatrick questioned the need for a Henderson State College.

"There is no student anywhere that will be deprived of anything without a Henderson State College," he said.

There was also questions about the decision to lure Moore away from CCSN.

"You chopped off the head of the community college and said 'we want him,' " Kirkpatrick said.

Moore said CCSN is in great shape and can easily withstand the transition to a new president.

"Any college that can handle 15-percent growth each year for five years can withstand" a change of leadership, he said.

No decisions have been made about Moore's replacement at CCSN.

Candace Kant, chair of the CCSN faculty senate, denied rumors that she will be considered for the position.

"I made a commitment when I ran for chair of the faculty senate. I take that commitment very, very seriously. I will not be stepping down," Kant said.