Dr. Jim Catanzaro is the former president of Chattanooga State Community College.Former Chattanooga State Community College President Jim Catanzaro won't be returning to campus any time soon.
Members of the Tennessee Board of Regents turned down Catanzaro's request to become president emeritus of the campus he departed amid scandal in December 2014 after nearly 25 years at the helm.
On Dec. 10, just days after he announced he would step down in the face of mounting criticism, Catanzaro emailed Board of Regents officials asking that he be hired as president emeritus. In the note, he said he and his wife "would consider this to be a proper recognition of the many noteworthy advancements made by the college during my term as president and an affirmation of a legacy of achievement."
But regents nixed that idea at their quarterly board meeting March 27.
The board's audit committee had discussed Catanzaro's request earlier in the month. Catanzaro had originally been told the decision would have to wait until a permanent president took over at Chatt State, which is expected to occur this summer. But members of the audit committee said they didn't want to wait.
"Following the committee's discussion of the request -- it was in open session -- the consensus was that it was not advisable to defer consideration of the matter," said Regent Tom Griscom, according to a recording of the meeting, "and the members present did not feel that granting his request was in the best interest of the college."
Griscom declined to comment beyond his statements at the meeting.
Catanzaro stepped down amid a Board of Regents investigation into his hiring practices. In a special audit, state officials found that Catanzaro had created a mock hiring process in defiance of rules designed to ensure a fair and open hiring process. The inquiry centered around his recruitment of Chief Innovations Officer Lisa Haynes, whom Catanzaro had met on vacation in Barbados and hired despite the fact she had questionable job experience and didn't have a required bachelor's degree. Haynes' hiring led to unrest on campus, including two votes of no confidence in Catanzaro from faculty members. Haynes has since been fired.
Chattanooga State Interim President Fannie Hewlett had no comment on the president emeritus issue, saying it was a Board of Regents decision.
Tennessee Board of Regents policy allows presidents hired before 2002 -- Catanzaro was hired in 1990 -- to earn 20 percent of their most recent year's salary as presidents emeritus. Catanzaro was earning about $190,000 annually at his departure, along with other benefits, so he could be eligible to earn about $38,000 as a president emeritus.
The Board of Regents now employs 16 presidents emeritus -- seven former university presidents and nine former community college presidents.
Catanzaro declined to comment for this story. But in his email to the regents, he touted his accomplishments and years of service to the college and to the board. During his tenure, he said, enrollment spiked, new programs were added and the college secured partnerships with blue-chip manufacturers like Volkswagen.
"We plan to continue to live in Tennessee," Catanzaro wrote, "and would welcome the opportunity to be of further service to the college and our community."
Contact staff writer Kevin Hardy at khardy@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249.
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