Capdeville doesn't get president's job at Wyoming school

Montana State University-Northern Chancellor Alex Capdeville emerged as a finalist twice in a Wyoming college's convoluted search for a new president but was passed over when the final choice was made this morning.

The presidential search committee at Sheridan College unanimously selected Kevin Drumm, a vice president at Springfield Technical Community College in Springfield, Mass, a college spokeswoman said.

Capdeville, who was selected as chancellor of Northern in the fall of 2000, could not be reached for comment this morning.

Capdeville was one of three original finalists for the job as president of Sheridan, two-year community college with campuses in Sheridan and Gillette. Capdeville and the other candidates visited the campuses of Sheridan College and were interviewed at the beginning of May.

One of the finalists withdrew from contention and the other was not selected by the search committee, said Wendy Smith, information director at Sheridan College. Capdeville remained as the only finalist and the committee reopened the search in June.

Smith said she didn't know why the committee reopened its search after the two finalists were eliminated.

The committee announced that Drumm was a finalist on June 23.

Whitey Wells, chairman of the search committee and a member of the college's board of trustees, and Charlene Bodine, chairwoman of the board, could not be reached for comment this morning.

The Sheridan board originally said it hoped to have the new president selected by July 1.

The search began after Sheridan College President Steve Maier announced he would step down at the end of June.

Capdeville, who received his bachelor's and master's degrees from Northern, took a two-year position as chancellor of Northern in September 2000. He accepted the position on a permanent basis in May, 2001.

Capdeville was the chief executive officer of the Helena College of Technology for 22 years before taking his position at Northern.

On the Net: Montana State University-Northern: http://www.msun.edu

Sheridan College: http://www.sheridan.edu/