With trustee elections beginning on Monday, alumni everywhere are presented with an important choice. The two elected candidates will serve for eight years, make critical decisions that will determine the overall direction of the College and potentially help to select a new president.
In last year's election, alumni voted outspoken administration critic and write-in candidate T.J. Rodgers '70 on to the board. Hoping to follow the path Rodgers blazed, Peter Robinson '79 and Todd Zywicki '88 will run as petition candidates for the open seats. While we appreciate the passion for Dartmouth the two have shown, they have done little to distinguish themselves from Rodgers or each other. Instead, it seems both have simply chosen to push the same hot buttons Rodgers pushed last year, but without Rodgers' credentials or overarching vision.
That leaves the slate of candidates put forth by the Alumni Council Nominating Committee. All four have led extraordinary professional lives since graduating from our college. Richard Lewis '84 is the chief executive of an international real estate advisory firm based in London. Sheila Cheston '80 spent much of her life in public service and served as special associate counsel to President Clinton. Gregg Engles '79 is the CEO of Dean Foods, a company on the cutting edge of the organic foods industry. Curt Welling '71 Tu'77 dedicated himself to worldwide humanitarian efforts as the CEO of AmeriCares. But two stand out in our minds as the most qualified to serve on the Board of Trustees.
Lewis has shown remarkable dedication since losing an earlier bid for the board by a slim margin, going so far as to fly from England to carry out his duties as a member of the Rockefeller Center's Board of Overseers. Engles' background in both law and business gives him a unique and informed perspective on a variety of non-academic issues that the board is sure to face.
But what ultimately sets Lewis and Engles apart is that they have gone beyond touting their resums or lobbing criticism at the current administration and articulated a clear understanding of the specific issues facing the College. In interviews with The Dartmouth, Lewis stressed his desire to maintain the "size and style of the College," while Engles noted Dartmouth's "odd niche in the world of higher education." The two candidates clearly recognize the importance of preserving Dartmouth's proud tradition of undergraduate focus and small-college feel.
At the same time, the candidates appear to acknowledge some crucial progressive ideals -- in particular, Lewis highlighted the importance of "maintaining or reducing the cost of a Dartmouth education." The two candidates show they are in touch with the Dartmouth of today and have the foresight necessary to help steer the Dartmouth of tomorrow.
We fully endorse Richard Lewis and Gregg Engles for the College's two open trustee positions.
N.B.: In polling this year, each graduate of the College is allowed to cast a vote for as many or as few of the candidates as he or she desires. Ultimately, however, only two will be named trustees. With an eye towards the end result, the Editorial Board decided to endorse only two candidates rather than a slate of more than two.
