Rockne Freitas
among candidates for
Hilo chancellor position
The first of three finalists to become the next chancellor at Hawaii Community College wrapped up a visit to the campus yesterday.
David Mathieu, vice president for academic and student affairs at Normandale Community College in Minnesota, spent three days at the Hilo campus.
Mathieu helped found a campus in Japan for the Minnesota State University system and has expertise in bilingual/multicultural education.
Rockne Freitas, vice president and executive director of the Ke Ali'i Pauahi Foundation, will visit the campus Feb. 11 to 13. Freitas held leadership positions at Kamehameha Schools and the University of Hawaii and served as a trustee for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. He is a former National Football League player and coach.
The third candidate is Gary Isham, the chief executive of New Mexico State University at Grants Campus. He has also had leadership positions at Central Oregon Community College, Mohave Community College and Spokane Falls Community College. He will visit Feb. 23 to 25.
The new chancellor will replace interim Chancellor Shirley Daniel, who has been in the position since July when former Chancellor Sandra Sakaguchi took an assignment to oversee the planning and design of the new UH-Kona campus.
A UH spokeswoman said the university expects to pay the next chancellor between $99,000 and $126,000, subject to Board of Regents approval.
Daniel makes $200,400 as acting chancellor and as a UH-Manoa distinguished professor and Henry Walker chair at the College of Business Administration.