Collaboration.

That was the buzz word at the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Leader’s breakfast at Cornell College Thursday, April 30.

Part of the breakfast was community leaders weighing in on the qualities they would like to see from a new president at Cornell College, a decision the board of regents is looking to make by the end of this calendar year.

And one of the items that is noted is that Cornell College’s last two presidents have had long lasting tenures in the community, something that is unusual in college presidencies, which average 10 years or less.

Part of that is some of the qualities the town is looking for in any leader who is here – visibility of that community leader. We expect superintendents of our schools to be visible at community events, of things important to our schools, but we also expect them just to be here in the community we all call home.

And collaboration is a buzz word that happens in this community organically. We have police services that are now merged together in one department. Ambulance services that were formed that way years ago. Meetings that routinely happen between our local school presidents, college and city on issues that impact them all.

Collaboration’s the buzz word from the Mount Vernon Fire Department’s new training facility as well, looking to give agencies that they work alongside the same experience.

Southeast Linn Community Center has been bridging that gap of collaboration, not only with providing assistance via Natalia’s Food Pantry, but as well with their volunteers now providing transportation services for Cornell Rams.

Other points for the new president that were brought up by community leaders involved coming up with plans on how to address AI and prepare students on how to use said technology and showing what a modern liberal arts major looks like.