First Presidential Candidate Open Forum Held
Large crowd comes out to hear what Dr. Thomas Botzman has to offer Longwood University
Corey Morris
Issue date: 2/3/10 Section: News
A standing ovation greeted Dr. Thomas Botzman, vice president for business and finance at St. Mary's College of Maryland during an open forum on Tues., Feb. 2. The event was designed to let Botzman inform the campus why he is interested to be President of Longwood University and give attendees a chance to ask him questions. Botzman is the first of four candidates in the running to replace current Longwood President Patricia Cormier, who is retiring July 1.
Barry Case, chair of the presidential search and screening advisory committee, gave a brief introduction of Botzman, who was chosen from a list of 124 applicants by the committee. Case explained the search process began about six months ago and consists of 13 individuals, whose job is to find a person who is capable of promoting the core values and mission statement of the campus, as well as individuals who have a great interest in pursuing academic excellence. The committee also selected candidates who promote diversity amongst the campus community and will diligently work with the Board of Visitors (BOV) and other state and federal officials to conduct the business of the university both at home and at large.
Botzman humorously opened the forum, a tone he carried with him until the end, by saying the last time he had a standing ovation was when he was giving a presentation about the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in Mexico where he had to speak "Spanglish" to get through the speech.
"I like Longwood because it reminds me of Maryland," he said. "Much like our campus, you are into sustainability, into diversity, and into welcoming. And I thank you for that."
He quickly said that if chosen as President, he would continue to promote Longwood's mission statement and traditional values. He said he was impressed at the qualities exhibited by Longwood students. "I was impressed to see that you have thought about the democratic principles," Botzman told the audience. He said those principles in Longwood's mission statement are crucial of a citizen leader and make the campus what it is.
Barry Case, chair of the presidential search and screening advisory committee, gave a brief introduction of Botzman, who was chosen from a list of 124 applicants by the committee. Case explained the search process began about six months ago and consists of 13 individuals, whose job is to find a person who is capable of promoting the core values and mission statement of the campus, as well as individuals who have a great interest in pursuing academic excellence. The committee also selected candidates who promote diversity amongst the campus community and will diligently work with the Board of Visitors (BOV) and other state and federal officials to conduct the business of the university both at home and at large.
Botzman humorously opened the forum, a tone he carried with him until the end, by saying the last time he had a standing ovation was when he was giving a presentation about the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in Mexico where he had to speak "Spanglish" to get through the speech.
"I like Longwood because it reminds me of Maryland," he said. "Much like our campus, you are into sustainability, into diversity, and into welcoming. And I thank you for that."
He quickly said that if chosen as President, he would continue to promote Longwood's mission statement and traditional values. He said he was impressed at the qualities exhibited by Longwood students. "I was impressed to see that you have thought about the democratic principles," Botzman told the audience. He said those principles in Longwood's mission statement are crucial of a citizen leader and make the campus what it is.
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