New Yorker Named President Of CPE

This from Mark Hebert at WHAS TV:

A New Yorker has been named president of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education:

COUNCIL ON POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION NAMES PRESIDENT

(FRANKFORT, Ky.)--The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education today unanimously named Robert L. King as its third president. King will officially begin his term no later than April 1. He replaces Thomas Layzell who retired in September 2007.

King, 61, is the former chancellor of the State University of New York, the largest higher education system in the country with 64 campuses and an annual operating budget of $8.5 billion. He presently serves as president and CEO of the Arizona Community Foundation, a statewide charitable foundation with a strong focus on education, economic development and scientific research.

Since June, the Council has been operating under the oversight of Interim Council President Richard Crofts. Crofts will assist with an orderly transition. The current plan is for Crofts to remain in his position through the end of January.

King's appointment concludes a nationwide search that identified a pool of 40 highly qualified candidates.

John Hall, chairman of the Council's Presidential Search Committee, praised King for making significant progress at SUNY in areas important to Kentucky's higher education reforms--enrollment, retention, graduation rates, research volume and philanthropy.

"Bob King has extensive leadership experience in education and state government. His work with the SUNY system provides him with many experiences and ideas that will be beneficial to Kentucky," said Hall.

John Turner, chairman of the Council, added, "Mr. King's background also prepares him to be a strong advocate for postsecondary education. He is the right choice for Kentucky and we are delighted with his appointment."

King's three-year contract includes a $360,000 salary, $40,000 for housing or deferred compensation and a state vehicle. By statute, the president of the Council must make more than the base salary of the highest paid public university president which is $352,000.

King draws high praise from his colleagues as well as former New York Governor George Pataki who stated, "I think he is the best chancellor we have had in 30 years. I have been in Albany long enough to know several of them. He led the system in raising academic standards and differentiating the missions of the institutions so that we could better meet the needs of our state."

Michael Crow, president of Arizona State University, added, "Bob King is one of America's great leaders in higher education and he will serve the Commonwealth of Kentucky very well."

Former Kentucky Governor Paul Patton, who is also a member of the Council, voiced strong support for King. "Bob King has an excellent combination of academic and political skills which will be required to be successful in this position," he said.

King received a bachelor of art's degree in 1968 from Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., and a juris doctor in 1971 from the Vanderbilt University School of Law. He is married to Karen, his wife of 32 years, and they have four grown children.

"I am tremendously honored to be named president of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education," said King. "I pledge my full commitment to the people of Kentucky and advancing the goals of higher education reform.

"I look forward to engaging campus leadership, the broader education community, state officials and elected leaders toward achieving those goals," he added.