Interim Nevada State chief gets nod for presidency

Six and a half months ago, Bart Patterson was a lawyer working for the government.

On Monday, it is likely he will become Nevada State College's newest president.

Patterson, who has been serving as the college's interim president since late October, was chosen Friday by a Board of Regents committee for the job. The full board is scheduled to vote on the recommendation Monday.

"Bart is part of our family," said Angela Brommel, the incoming chair of the Faculty Senate.

The committee was divided, choosing Patterson in a 4-2 vote. It appeared that the favorite among committee members was Soraya Coley, the provost at California State University, Bakersfield.

"She floored me," Regent Cedric Crear said.

But it was clear that Patterson was the choice of the college's constituents, albeit a close one. Many of them also said they liked Coley.

Regent Ron Knecht made the motion to approve Patterson 10 hours after the meeting started.

"That's what I heard from this group," he said, indicating the room full of faculty, staff, students and community members.

The committee and the constituents heard from five candidates through the day, including Patterson and Coley. Also among them were Donna Price Henry from Florida Gulf Coast University, Pablo Arenaz from Texas A&M International University and Lois Becker from Jacksonville University.

"I'm overwhelmed," Patterson said in a phone interview Friday night.

He said the support he received from the people at the college wasn't really about him. It was about Nevada State.

"It's really just a clear indication of how much this college has achieved through difficult circumstances," he said.

The college, launched in 2002, has had seven different presidents. While nearly everyone in the room Friday said they liked Coley and thought she would make a good president, they often went with Patterson out of a stated desire for consistency.

"I know that Bart will be here," said Glenn Christenson, chairman of the NSC Foundation, expressing the same sentiment expressed by many at the meeting.

Before being appointed interim president of Nevada State College last year, Patterson had worked for the state higher education system since 2001, most recently as the vice chancellor of administrative and legal affairs.

College insiders said they liked Patterson largely because of his clear love for the college. He was the college's original attorney, and two of his children are students there now.

Andy Kuniyuki, the associate dean of the school of liberal arts, said he was glad the committee listened to the people from the college instead of going their own way.

"Thank you for hearing our voice this afternoon," he said.

Patterson was among a string of interim or acting presidents that have been chosen to lead the state's colleges and universities lately. Neal Smatresk had been UNLV's provost, then took over as interim president before being appointed the president in late 2010.

And last week, UNR's Marc Johnson was confirmed as its president after he had served as interim president following the former president's death.

That may be what prompted NSC's committee chairman, Regent Mark Alden, to make this declaration following Friday's vote: "This was not an inside job."

Contact reporter Richard Lake at rlake@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0307.