SHORELINE — Shoreline Community College Acting President Lee Lambert has a new title – interim president.
At its meeting Oct. 13, the Board of Trustees voted to appoint Lambert interim president, a position he will hold until the completion of Shoreline’s nationwide presidential search.
It’s Lambert’s third title this year, as he was hired to be SCC’s vice president of human resources and legal affairs in January.
And while there’s been a great deal of change at SCC since his arrival – the resignation of President Holly Moore and cutting almost $1.5 million from its 2005-06 budget when enrollment fell short – Lambert is taking it in stride and looks forward to working with the college community through these issues, he said.
“I really want to heal the institution,” Lambert said.
He said he has several areas he will focus on during his time of leadership at the college.
“My goals are to rebuild the trust in the executive leadership of the college (and) to stabilize the college in terms of the budget,” Lambert said.
He also will focus on creating an enrollment management plan, he said. One of the driving forces behind the budget cuts was a decline in enrollment this fall, and with a sound enrollment plan, the college hopes to avoid issues like this in the future.
Lambert will take on the presidential duties full time, so while he will not continue his specific work as the vice president of human resources, he will use the skills he has from that position.
In addition to overseeing human resources at Shoreline, Lambert previously held similar roles while working at Centralia College and The Evergreen State College.
He said the goals he has laid out for himself for this year are not ones he has come up with on his own.
Creating open and honest communication, following a transparent process, making informed decisions and guaranteeing accountability are principles the college as a whole would like to follow, he said.
“That came from the campus, and that’s the beauty of it,” Lambert said. “I just was able to listen to what the campus had to say, and now it’s my job to create a voice to that.”
In addition to these roles as president, Lambert was asked by the Board of Trustees to begin searching for SCC’s next president.
The college sought proposals from consultants wishing to head the presidential search. Lambert said SCC has received proposals, and it now will start getting input from the campus in terms of what characteristics they would like to see in a new president.
A committee led by staff from human resources and the consultant will steer the search, but Lambert will be involved in the process.
Lambert has a doctorate of law from Seattle University School of Law and a bachelor’s in liberal arts from The Evergreen State College. He is a member of the Washington State Bar Association and chair of the Human Resources Management Commission.
He has worked in academic settings for years and said the most important aspect of his new job will be reminding why everyone at SCC is there.
“We’re here about our students and we’re here about our community,” Lambert said.
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