BY KATHRYN GALLIEN
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Skidmore’s president, unlike those at many other colleges, serves at the pleasure of the board of trustees, without a formal contract. Talk with the three board chairs of his first decade—Sue Corbet Thomas ’62 (2002–08), Janet Lucas Whitman ’59 (2008–12), and Linda Toohey (current)—and it’s clear that the “pleasure of the board” is considerable.
ll three served on the search committee for Skid- more’s seventh president in 2003, and they remem- ber well the day they interviewed Philip Glotzbach. “He had not been in the room three minutes when I nudged the person next to me and said, ‘Oh, my, I think this is the one,’” recalls Thomas. “He was so full of energy and eager- ness. He had a glimmer in his eye.” Whitman agrees, “It was a unani- mous feeling of joy—we were just thrilled that we had found him.” He had a strong commitment to and vi- sion for liberal arts education, and, she
says, “he understood who we were and what we wanted.” They describe him as a leader of great intellect, insight, and people skills, a consensus builder who is not afraid to make decisions and does so with an eye toward their impact on future generations. “People have confidence in him and are comfortable with him,” says Thomas, adding that “no- body is afraid of him, and he is not afraid to face controversy head on.” In times of crisis, says Toohey, “he’s very human— a decent human being to the core—with a strength and opti-
mism that says ‘we’re going to get through this.’” Whitman, who became board chair in 2008, recalls in particular his pos- itive attitude in the face of tough financial pressures and budget decisions.
“He has brought us a long
way, but he can’t stop thinking about Skidmore and where we can still go.”
Glotzbach readily fulfilled their request that there be “no surprises.” As Toohey says, “I’ve never read anything in the newspaper about Skidmore that he hasn’t shared with me first.” Know- ing and trusting each other is the key to the working partnerships: “There was a great openness be- tween us,” Thomas says. And Whit-
man deemed her working relationship with him “very con- genial,” noting that “he’s a good listener, and that’s terribly important.”
Of course no college president governs alone, and the chairs are quick to point out that Glotzbach put in place a great administrative staff and has an excellent partner in his wife, Marie. “They’re a team,” says Toohey, noting that it is a more than full-time job for her as well, particularly in com- munity relations and fundraising.
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