Kishwaukee College, new President Laurie Borowicz agree on contract

MALTA – Laurie Borowicz will begin her tenure as Kishwaukee Community College’s fifth president with a three-year contract and an annual salary of $175,000, records show.

Borowicz’s contract, which has been approved by the college’s Board of Trustees, begins Jan. 11, a week before second-semester classes begin. The contract will end June 30, 2019. Borowicz replaces Tom Choice, who announced plans to retire in June. Choice’s last day will be Dec. 31.

Borowicz was the ideal candidate for the job, board Chairman Bob Johnson said.

“Campuses always want someone [who communicates well] and has experience in the classroom,” he said. “Kishwaukee is like a family, and they wanted someone that fit that model.”

Borowicz currently is the vice president of student services for Northcentral Technical College in Wausau, Wisconsin. Under her contract, KCC will pay Borowicz $1,500 a month for six months as a temporary housing allowance so she can live in the area while she relocates. The college will also reimburse her for moving expenses.

Johnson said that the process of choosing a new president was elaborate. The board hired the association of community college trustees to create a profile of the ideal candidate based on what people on campus said they wanted from their future president.

More than 50 people applied and the board narrowed the choice down to four finalists through the process of interviews, campus tours and taking into account comments and feedback from faculty, support staff and students.

Kishwaukee Community College is a two-year school that offers more than 70 occupational degrees and certificates along with five transfer degrees. It employs more than 400 people with a student body of more than 9,000. In fiscal 2016, its budget was $35.1 million. Borowicz’s experience dealing with funding cuts and rough economic situations was something that caught official’s eye, Johnson said.

“We wanted someone with experience in tough financial times,” Johnson said. “Wisconsin has gone through things like that. … They have had their resources dramatically reduced by the state.”

Among other benefits including retirement contributions, medical insurance, life insurance and business expense privileges, Borowicz will receive an annual vehicle allowance totaling $10,000.

The contract overall is comparable to Choice’s agreement, he said. Choice receives a base salary of $178,228 this year, along with a $27,500 bonus and almost $8,000 car and business expense allowance.

“It’s below what he is making now, but higher than what he started with,” he said. “This is her first presidency. … She felt is was fair. We felt it was fair, especially in light of the economic environment we are in.”