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Watchdog media entities ask CSU System Board of Governors to annul selection of Joe Blake as chancellor
Request board starts a new, transparent search for candidates, including Blake
Madeline Novey
Issue date: 5/11/09 Section: News
Three watchdog media entities issued a statement to the CSU System Board of Governor's Thursday, asking that the board to annul its decision to name Joe Blake as the sole finalist for CSU chancellor.
Requesting the BOG start a new search to review additional candidates, including Blake, Colorado Ethics Watch, Colorado Common Cause and New Era Colorado, hope to instill greater transparency in the board's selection process -- something all agreed was missing from the closed-door executive session in which Blake was selected on May 5.
"We all have a common interest and mission to pursue open honest government," said Chantell Taylor, director of Colorado Ethics Watch. " … This process was done in a rushed and closed-door way and we thought it was important for the board to try again in a more transparent process."
Blake was selected as finalist for CSU chancellor in a closed-door session on May 5 after formerly submitting his application for the position on April 29.
The Colorado Independent, The Coloradoan and the Pueblo Chieftan, saying the board violated Colorado's open-meetings laws through its selection, filed a lawsuit against the BOG on May 6.
The BOG said, "it stands behind its process and firmly believes it complied with the Colorado Open Meeting law with regard to its May 5, 2009 discussions and interview of Joe Blake," in a statement posted on its Web site Thursday.
"There have been opinions expressed about the search process, but the facts are that the board took steps to ensure the process leading up to and through the five-month search was open and that as many voices from constituent groups had the opportunity to be heard."
The first part of the statement "Pretty much address the overarching tenure about what the three entities have expressed," said BOG spokesperson Michele McKinney.
"We thought it was important to remind the public of the process that did occur," she said of the statement, which noted that open CSU stakeholder forums were held around the state to gather input on "desired attributes for a new chancellor."
Requesting the BOG start a new search to review additional candidates, including Blake, Colorado Ethics Watch, Colorado Common Cause and New Era Colorado, hope to instill greater transparency in the board's selection process -- something all agreed was missing from the closed-door executive session in which Blake was selected on May 5.
"We all have a common interest and mission to pursue open honest government," said Chantell Taylor, director of Colorado Ethics Watch. " … This process was done in a rushed and closed-door way and we thought it was important for the board to try again in a more transparent process."
Blake was selected as finalist for CSU chancellor in a closed-door session on May 5 after formerly submitting his application for the position on April 29.
The Colorado Independent, The Coloradoan and the Pueblo Chieftan, saying the board violated Colorado's open-meetings laws through its selection, filed a lawsuit against the BOG on May 6.
The BOG said, "it stands behind its process and firmly believes it complied with the Colorado Open Meeting law with regard to its May 5, 2009 discussions and interview of Joe Blake," in a statement posted on its Web site Thursday.
"There have been opinions expressed about the search process, but the facts are that the board took steps to ensure the process leading up to and through the five-month search was open and that as many voices from constituent groups had the opportunity to be heard."
The first part of the statement "Pretty much address the overarching tenure about what the three entities have expressed," said BOG spokesperson Michele McKinney.
"We thought it was important to remind the public of the process that did occur," she said of the statement, which noted that open CSU stakeholder forums were held around the state to gather input on "desired attributes for a new chancellor."
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