Nevada State College interim president finalist for Colorado post

Lesley Di Mare, the interim president of Nevada State College, is a finalist for presidency of Colorado State University, Pueblo. She took over the top spot at NSC one year ago.

Di Mare said she was nominated for the job, and she interviewed in Colorado last month.

"I want to look at my options, of which CSU Pueblo is one," she said. Nevada State is another. Robin Hurlands, chairman of NSC's faculty senate, said the senate recently conducted a survey of the faculty about Di Mare. She said they were anticipating that a search for a permanent president might be launched, and wanted to have information available in case the higher education system's Board of Regents needed it.

"There's really overwhelming support for her on campus," Hurlands said. "From the faculty, the students, the foundation.

"She's fantastic. We have to find a way to keep her."

At the Board meeting on Thursday, Glenn Christianson, the chairman of the NSC Foundation, had told the Board the foundation wants Di Mare named the college's permanent president.

He said the college is going in the right direction, that Di Mare is a great leader, and that NSC need stability right now.

Di Mare was named the interim president last year, after the death of the former president, Fred Maryanski.

"Dr. Di Mare has far exceeded our expectations," Christianson said.

Before becoming NSC's president, Di Mare had been the college's provost, the number two academic administrator. She previously had spent much of her career at state universities in California and Arizona.

NSC just received its official accreditation under Di Mare. It opened in 2002 with fewer than 200 students but has about 3,000 now. CSU Pueblo is a bit larger, with more than 5,000 students.

Contact reporter Richard Lake at rlake@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0307.