Sandoval named vice president for college in Henderson

Friday, Feb. 11, 2000 | 11:42 a.m.

After a lengthy debate Thursday, the Board of Regents approved Orlando Sandoval as the interim vice president for the planned state college in Henderson, despite the fact that he doesn't have a college degree.

"It's difficult to sit there and listen to people talk about you," a relieved Sandoval said after the 8-3 vote that made him interim vice president for planning and administration. "This is going to be a tough job dealing with things like business, purchasing and personnel. But this is a dream come true."

Sandoval, 49, said he never intended to not go to college.

"I was in the Army at age 17 and three years later I was in the (Vietnam) war," he said. "I had my own business for many years, doing construction -- I just never got there (college)."

In the mid-1980s Sandoval landed a job as plant director at the Community College of Southern Nevada, and from there he worked his way up the ladder to vice president of CCSN.

Regents Mark Alden, Steve Sisolak and Tom Kirkpatrick voted against Sandoval for the $125,000-a-year post.

Sandoval resigned from CCSN, where he was making $110,000, Jan. 31 but rescinded the resignation Feb. 2 pending the outcome of the regents' vote on his Henderson College job. He has been on vacation since Feb. 1.

Alden praised Sandoval for his work at the community college but said he had some problems -- problems he put in the form of an amendment to the motion to hire Sandoval.

The amendment, which called for a lower salary and required the money to come from a $500,000 Legislative allocation instead of the University and Community College System of Nevada, failed.

The source of the funds to pay Sandoval also was a sore point with Sisolak, who got into a debate with interim Chancellor Tom Anderes. Sisolak asked him from what CCSN "slush fund" did the $65,000 -- Sandoval's first five months salary -- come.

Taking exception to the words slush fund, Anderes said it was "discretionary funds" from interest income. Anderes said the state college is borrowing the money that Richard Moore, the college's founding president, said he would pay back when public donations are received.

Sisolak asked how much more discretionary money was available from the taxpayer-funded system. Anderes said he did not know.

Kirkpatrick could not support Sandoval because Sandoval has no college degree.

"If this (choosing an interim vice president) were done by a national search with 50 to 100 applicants, his (Sandoval's) application would be thrown out so fast," Kirkpatrick said. "What kind of message does this send to the public?"

Moore, who as former CCSN president was Sandoval's previous boss, said the time Sandoval spent as a U.S. Special Forces soldier in Cambodia qualifies him as the fighter he needs to get the job done.

Regent David Phillips, the only black member of the board, noted that opportunities in higher education for minorities like Sandoval have not always been good, especially when Sandoval opted for the military as a teenager.

"Let's give him a chance," Phillips said.

During the hearing, Sandoval told the board it was "kind of risky" leaving a job at an existing college for a school that won't be built unless the Nevada Legislature funds it in 2001. He also told the board he will take the same risk going for the permanent post.

Moore said it was essential that he have an assistant because in the next month he will develop the college's master plan to present to the board in April.

In December regents approved the idea of Nevada's first state college being in Henderson. Earlier in the year, the Legislature allocated $500,000 for studies and planning for the proposed facility.

But with Moore's salary of $175,000, his secretary's pay and benefits, the legislative committee's expenses and consultant work, the start-up money has been exhausted.

Other key positions filled by unanimous vote of the regents on Thursday: