Jim Catanzaro to Retire from Chatt State
He notified the Tennessee Board of Regents last Wednesday and Monday morning he told his executive staff.
Despite numerous accolades over the years, Catanzaro retired under a cloud.
DR. KEN GOLDSMITH, PRES. FACULTY SENATE "My first thought was it was a relief that this was now over…but it was also a sad moment."
Dr. Ken Goldsmith heads the faculty senate that last month gave Jim Cartanzaro a vote of no confidence.
He is also the subject of a probe by the Tennessee Board of Regents for his hiring of Lisa Haynes from Barbados, who is paid a 6-figure salary as Chief Innovations Officer.
It was later discovered that she did not have her batchelor’s degree.
DR. KEN GOLDSMITH "Once we learned about the hiring and the salary
and those type of things ..but I think there’s more than that."
In the statement released by the college, Dr. Catanzaro said, in part: "I love this college and our community. We’ve made extraordinary strides over the past 24 years so that Chattanooga State stands out as one of the very best community colleges in the nation."
DR. KEN GOLDSMITH "We all feel that way..that he’s done some great things ..but we felt it was time for a change."
Chatt State is known for developing unique workforce programs for local industry.
DR. JAMES CATANZARO, AUGUST 15, 2013 "We have done very well I think producing workers for Wacker, Volkswagen, for TVA, and all the industry of our community."
DR. STEVE ANGLE, UTC CHANCELLOR "He got a lot accomplished during his time there and now sets the stage for someone else to come in and go to even greater heights."
Faculty members said the no confidence vote was about more than just Lisa Haynes. They criticized Catanzaro’s handling of the college’s money, and in their words, of being vindictive.
An interim president will be appointed as a national search begins.
The Tennessee Board of Regents will handle the search for a new president.
Leave a Reply