Blagojevich shuffles Board of Trustee nominees

Dr. Carlos Azcoitia was nominated by Gov. Rod Blagojevich to the NEIU Board of Trustees and attended his first meeting on Nov 16. 2006. The governor's office has now rescinded his nomination and nominated CCICS Professor Dr. Grace Dawson to serve on the board.

Azcoitia said that an aide to Blagojevich, Alexi Madden, informed him that the Illinois State Senate would not confirm his appointment and there would not be a vote for his confirmation. Madden refused to comment and referred the Independent to a press secretary.

About his removal from the board, Azcoitia said "It is very disturbing to the university, to the Latino community, it seems there was another name? that's an insult to me and to the Latino community, this is not a way to do business, this is disconcerting in many ways."

Dr. Dawson confirmed that she had been contacted to take the board seat, but stated that she would not comment until after the state senate confirmed her nomination.

Spokeswoman for Gov. Blagojevich Rebecca Rausch said that rescinded appointments actually were not uncommon, and stressed that appointments were made with the "advice and consent of the [state] senate." When asked who in the Senate moved to block the nomination, she said that she could not discuss it.

Jean Kelchauser, liaison to the Board of Trustees, said that Dr. Dawson's name was first brought forward on Feb. 14 or 15 and that they had not received any official correspondence from the governor's office. She said that her office became aware of the removal of Azcoitia from Azcoitia himself. Both Kelchauser and university president Sharon Hahs told the Independent they had never seen an appointment to a university board of trustees made and rescinded.

When asked if Blagojevich were to reappoint him to one of the other seats whose terms had expired, Azcoitia said, "My commitment is to the school [NEIU] but I would really have to think about it." Azcoitia said that he is considering an invitation from another university to serve on a board of advisors that deals with Latino issues. Azcoitia also currently serves on another state educational board for the governor's office.

There are currently three members of the board whose terms expired last month, according to Hahs and Kelchauser: Trustee Edward Dykla, Trustee Carole Balzekas and Chair Nancy Masterson. Kelchauser explained that though the terms of the three board members expired, they would continue to serve until the governor appointed another person to the seat, or the trustee chose to step down.

Azcoitia would have been the only Latino and Dawson would be the only African- American person on the board. Kelchauser told the Independent that former President Steinberg had written the governor's office on several occasions, asking that the board more accurately reflect the ethnic make-up of Northeastern.

CCICS Director Conrad Worrill said, "I know there are vacancies on the board and we are working with members of the Latino community to have Latinos put in those spots." Worrill indicated that he supported Azcoitia's reinstatement to fill one of those potentially open spots.

Other Latino campus leaders expressed concern about Azcoitia's removal. Director of El Centro Daniel Lopez said, "I hope we find another Latino because we need another Latino to represent us [on the board]"

Long time Associate Professor of Spanish Angelina Pedroso said, "It is a slap in the face to the Latino community." Pedroso said she would be circulating a petition to call for the reinstatement of Azcoitia.

Azcoitia is the principal of the Spry School on the South Side of Chicago, his daughter attends NEIU and he was recently profiled on WBEZ's 848 program.

Grace Dawson is a retiring Assistant Professor in Educational Leadership and Development at CCICS who won a Faculty Award for Excellence at the 2006 Black History Month Awards Ceremony at NEIU.