The selection of Dr. Raymond Nadolny as the next president of Williston State College Monday afternoon may be more historic than many people realize.

Nadolny was one of three finalists interviewed on campus Monday by the State Board of Higher Education. Only two members of the state board, however, were actually present to participate in the face-to-face discussions with the finalists.

Board Vice President Jon Backes of Minot and board member Pam Kostelecky of Dickinson attended the Monday interviews. The rest of the six board members opted not to attend due to weather warnings about the winter storm that hit the region Monday. Instead, those six members participated via conference call.

Kostelecky, who was the state board representative on the WSC search committee, said prior to the start of Monday’s interviews that all board members had received copies of the finalists’ interviews with the search committee, along with other documentation generated by the candidates and the committee.

Monday’s gathering is likely the very first time the state board has interviewed finalists for a president’s position at one of the state campuses with the majority of the board not attending in person for the interviews. University System secretary Sheila Tibke stated in an e-mail that conversations among system staff about Monday’s unique situation produced no recollection of such an outcome happening in the past 10 years. Tibke said the matter would take considerably more research to determine if it had happened more than 10 years ago. Negative comments from people attending Monday’s interviews concerning the missing board members started immediately after the board entered its executive session to make its final decision. Those comments continued as people returned again to hear the board’s decision.

When asked after Monday’s interviews what could be said to people who might feel Monday‘s decision is null and void because a quorum of the board wasn’t physically present, Backes said, “I think state law is fairly clear that the board can act by telephone conference when necessary. It’s unfortunate that the weather created the situation where the members from the eastern part of the state couldn’t get out here. But I think they did participate fully by telephone and I don’t think there is much opportunity to challenge that decision.”

When asked what he would say to people who might be extremely disappointed or extremely angry that eastern board members weren’t here to fully participate, Backes said, “I wouldn’t agree that they weren’t here to participate fully in the decision-making process. I can understand the disappointment that people have. But I think we all need to understand the weather in North Dakota is what it is and the personal safety of the traveling public is important.”

Backes said unfortunately, most of the eastern board members were intending to travel to Williston by air.

“And air travel by rain and ice is very difficult,” he said. “We can’t change the weather, we can only work through it. So that’s what we tried to do here today.”

Backes said the board’s decision in choosing Nadolny was very close.

“I personally thought maybe his match up with what the community of Williston was looking for was a little tighter because of some of the outreach things he had done; some of the fundraising aspects and things like that in his background that maybe weren’t quite as strong in a couple of the other candidates,” he said.

Nadolny is currently vice president for extended learning at Lake Washington Technical College in Kirkland, Wash. The state board extended a three-year contract to him Monday at an annual salary of $150,000.

Nadolny is to start his new position around April 15.