By Candice Geier 

As positions in administration continue to open up, the search to permanently fill these positions depend on the arrival of a new president, a search that is also underway.

Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia, former CSU-Pueblo’s president, said there were many administrative seats he had to fill when he first arrived at the university.

“It took awhile when I first transferred from Pikes Peak Community College,” Garcia said about filling the positions that are similar to some of the ones open now.

“Someone of that level wants to have a cabinet of leaders of his choice,” said Michelle McKinney, director of Denver Public Relations for the CSU system.“He wants people he is comfortable with and that he can trust.”

There have been quite a few interests in the president position, said Terry Payon, Alberto Pimentel’s assistant. Pimentel has been hired to conduct the national search for a new president.

As of mid-February, Pimentel has phoned over 150 calls to potential candidates, according to an article written by Gayle Perez of the Pueblo Chieftain.

The new president will have the opportunity to help decide who some of his closest associates will be. The current open positions are executive assistant to the vice president for Finance and Administration, director of University Counseling Center and Student Affairs, Student Activities event coordinator and the Veterans Upward Bound director.

The current provost is also on a “fixed contract,” according to an article by Bill Dagendesh in a prior TODAY article. Since the provost works so closely with the president it is only natural the president has some say in who will permanently fill the position.  

In addition, Michael Fronmueller has also stepped down as dean of the Hassan school of Business, according to the university’s website. He was preceded by Betty Hanks, interim dean. However, Fronmueller is still working as a professor for the school.  

Stig Jantz, an academic advisor for the Hassan School of Business, was asked to retire late last year, according to an earlier article from the TODAY. He was offered another position, but is no longer on campus after more than 900 people sought to retain his services at the school on Facebook.

David Niccoli, the director of the Information Technology Department, has also retired. His position was only opened a short time before it was put on pause, according to CSU-Pueblo’s Human Resource Department.

The position “is on hold for the president’s position to be filled,” according to a secretary in the provost’s office.

Niccoli served the school for 30 years and had been planning on retirement for awhile. The timing was purely coincidental, according to Garcia.

The process of narrowing down the presidential search is in progress, according to the Presidential Search Advisory Committee’s website. The last couple of conferences have been by phone. The committee will narrow down candidates to three to present to the board members.

The CSU System Board of Governors created the committee, which consists of Dorothy Horrell, Committee Chair, and Mary Lou Makepeace, committee vice chair.

Advisory committee members from CSU-Pueblo include faculty members Judy Baca and Katherine Frank. CSU-Pueblo staff members on the board are Geraldine Trujillo-Martinez and Tracy Samora.

Dawn DiPrince, a CSU-Pueblo post-graduate English student, Ralph Williams, a CSU-Pueblo Alumni and Foundation Board member and Henry Roman, Pueblo’s District 60 superintendent, are also on the committee.

Bonifacio Cosyleon was on the committee, but resigned last month. He was serving his second consecutive term.