Florida Gateway College President Off to Alaska – Who Is In Charge? Nobody's Talking
Posted June
14, 2019 06:00 am
(clockwise from left corner): former college
president candidate, Brian Dopson, VP
Academic Affairs; Board Chair Suzanne
Norris; Jennifer Price, Vice President of
Enrollment Management and Student Affairs;
Mike McKee, Ex. Dir. Media & Public
Information
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Florida Gateway College President, Lawrence Barrett was reported to be leaving for an Alaskan cruise. With recent confusion regarding the chain of command at the college, the Observer asked the President, "When you are in Alaska, who is in charge of the College?"
After the June 4, 2019 Florida Gateway College governor's board meeting, it was reported to the Observer that college president Lawrence Barrett was heading off to Alaska for an Alaskan cruise. He was purported to be leaving over the weekend of June 8.
There has been confusion lately regarding the chain of command at the college, with the college president either confused or having no set chain of command for an institution which has an almost $22 mil budget.
During the June 4, 2014 FGC board meeting, a board meeting presided over by long time board member and present chair Suzanne Norris, your reporter was going to ask a question regarding the chain of command at the college and who was the second in command, but the 3 minutes given to address the board was up.
On June 6, your reporter followed up with an email asking the question:
President
Barrett, It has been reported to the
Columbia County Observer that you are
heading to Alaska on or about this coming
Saturday.
In the past, there has been some
confusion regarding who is who on the
college organizational chart, the most
recent of which was approved at the last FGC
board meeting.
Question: When you are
in Alaska, who is in charge of the College?
PS> Please be advised that this question was
on my list of questions at the last FGC
board meeting and would have only taken five
seconds, however, you will recall that
Chairman Norris advised me that my time was
up...
Regards,
This email was also copied to the president's secretary, Karyn Congressi; the number two under Pres. Barrett on the FGC organizational chart, the college's Executive Director of Media & Public Information, Mike McKee; and board chair Suzanne Norris.
The email was never answered.
Yesterday afternoon, the college's number three under Pres. Barrett, Executive Director of Human Resources Sharon Best met your reporter at the public library. Somebody at the college felt she needed a police escort.
Your reporter asked who requested the police escort from the college. Ms. Best answered, "Various, I don't know. People in charge."
Your reporter asked, "Nobody knows who's in charge?"
There was no response.
Epilogue
With FGC President Barrett out of touch and difficult to reach, it is hard to believe that no one knows who is in command or that this is not public information.
