American Charles Green has been chosen as the new president of Bermuda College with a brief to groom a Bermudian to take the job in three years.

The former US army officer said he would try to bring in disillusioned black males as the college reaffirms its roots in the community.

At a Press conference yesterday Dr. Green, who is interim president of the Olive-Harvey College in Chicago, said: “I consider it a wonderful opportunity to have been selected to be part of Bermuda College for the next few years and to help the College achieve its objective of having a Bermudian ultimately at the head of this great institution.”

He aims to help the college have multiple local candidates to replace him and thrive.

Dr. Green, 64, said American community colleges looked up to the Bermuda College as a leader and he vowed to renew the curriculum to make sure it was meeting local industry needs.

His summer start date is pending immigration approval.

Bermuda College chairman Senator Raymond Tannock said: “Three attributes Dr. Green possesses have made him an outstanding candidate: he has extensive training in technological sciences, he is a disciplinarian, and, perhaps most importantly he is a mentor.”

He stressed Dr. Green's willingness to follow a brief. Sen. Tannock said identifying Bermudian successors would not be written into Dr. Green's contract but media publicity would make it difficult to renege on the promise to pick a local successor.

Dr. Green replaces retiring President Michael Orenduff who was the first ever non-Bermudian president of the Bermuda College in its 29-year history.

Asked why the College was again opting for a non-Bermudian candidate, Sen. Tannock said the focus of Dr. Orenduff's stay had been about re-focusing as a community college rather than a university. “We spent a great deal of time establishing who we were and laying the foundation for moving forward. That did not leave much time for mentoring.

“No one likes change.”

He defined a community college as one where no one would be allowed to fall through the cracks. Hook-ups with overseas institution still allow students to progress said Sen. Tannock.

“We know what are needs are at this point in time. We know what our weaknesses are.”

He said vice president Larita Alford had made it to the final two before losing out to Dr. Green. Asked what Dr. Green offered that Dr. Alford didn't, Sen. Tannock said: “I am not going to go into that.”

He said Dr. Alford would be one possible candidate among others to succeed Dr. Green.

“There is a great deal of talent at Bermuda College. This talent just needs to be given an opportunity to blossom. I do not believe we need any extensive period of mentoring. People need to be given an opportunity to manage and develop and move up. That is what we are seeking to do.”

Academics at the college have complained the process has been secretive with even the names of the selection committee being kept secret and the job criteria had been designed to eliminate those at the college from applying.

The search committee was headed by Pandora Wright and included two college faculty members, Dr. Clifford Maxwell and Gina Graham, board member Cris Valdes-Dapena and former educator and civil servant Gary Phillips.

In a Press interview in March Ms Wright declined to even identify the other five members of her committee.

Sen. Tannock said yesterday he would have responded if asked. “That's her right to say that.”

The job attracted 32 applicants including six Bermudians. All of the Bermudians were interviewed as well as six overseas applicants. A short list of one Bermudian and two overseas staff was then drawn up.

Retiring President Michael Orenduff revealed Bermuda College is in talks with Government about setting up a financial services academy which was announced in February's budget.

“The idea would be to provide more specific training to get more Bermudians into this huge growth field.”

The private sector is also involved in talks.

“We have tried to communicate more with local industry and find out what it is they want so the programmes they offer are more attuned to outcome base than traditional programmes.

“So we have stopped teaching French because no one was interested in doing it but we are trying to get more people into air conditioning because the air conditioning industry tells us they need to recruit.”