Traverse City Record-Eagle

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June 30, 2010

NMC president receives positive review

TRAVERSE CITY — Trustees at Northwestern Michigan College gave the institution's leader another positive annual review.

Tim Nelson has been NMC's president since 2001. The community college's board of trustees this week gave him an overall 3.68 rating on a 4-point scale after evaluations on core competencies and key responsibilities.

The rating is slightly higher than his 3.6 mark from last year's review. Nelson, who makes $164,035 a year, is happy with the results.

"When they evaluate me, they evaluate the progress of the college," he said. "I feel good about where we are."

The seven-member board judged Nelson on communication, teamwork, problem solving and a host of other issues. Scores in each area were averaged to determine an overall rating.

Nelson requested a pay freeze last year, though wouldn't say if he'd do so again this year. His salary, up from $102,000 when he began at NMC, will be discussed in July.

Nelson said the college has established relationships with institutions across the country and world. Growing such partnerships and developing new ones will be a top priority moving forward.

"We can't offer it all here anymore," he said.

The college also will have to deal with increasingly uncertain state funding, a key challenge, Nelson said.

He oversaw big changes at NMC over the past year, including a $1.1 million purchase of an old factory building to expand the Aero Park Campus. The deal wasn't without controversy, as the listing on the tax-delinquent property was held by NMC trustee and local real estate agent Bob Brick.

Trustee Cheryl Gore Follette, the longest tenured trustee at 18 years, has worked with three presidents while on the board. She said Nelson has a "tremendous command of a lot of moving parts" and works with energy and enthusiasm.

Trustee Doug Bishop agrees.

"We're real pleased with him," he said. "I think he's been an outstanding president for some time, but he continues to impress each year."

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