EMU Regent Incarnati to step down as chairman
Citing increased responsibilities at work, Eastern Michigan University Board of Regents Chairman Philip Incarnati has decided to step down as board chairman.
Incarnati, who led the board during the approval and construction of the controversial University House project, will remain a regent until his term ends in 2010.
In a letter to board members Monday, he cited an increasing workload as chairman and chief executive officer of McLaren Health Care Corp. of Flint as his chief reason for resigning.
Incarnati, an EMU graduate who lives near Flint, said in the letter that McLaren is embarking on an aggressive growth strategy that will require additional attention and energy.
"I truly have appreciated your collective support during my 10-plus years as your chair, but my other professional responsibilities must now take priority," he said in the letter, parts of which were distributed in EMU's announcement late Monday afternoon.
Neither Incarnati nor interim President Craig Willis could be reached for comment.
Incarnati told the board that he intends to fulfill his term. He said that with the search for a new president recently completed, the time was right for a change in board leadership. John Fallon, president of the State University of New York, Potsdam, will take over at EMU in mid-July.
Incarnati is the longest-serving chairman in EMU history. He was first appointed by then-Gov. John Engler in 1992 and was reappointed in 1995 and 2003. He was elected board chairman in 1995 and has been re-elected every year since.
Incarnati was in the public eye repeatedly over the past year, often acting as the board spokesman as newspaper stories, the public and a state audit raised questions about the construction of University House, a 10,200-square-foot home and fund-raising venue for then-President Samuel Kirkpatrick.
Kirkpatrick resigned under a buyout package worth more than $500,000 that included an agreement that neither side would criticize the other.
A state audit concluded that the cost of the University House off Hewitt Road was $2.5 million more than EMU regents and administrators had claimed.
Karen Valvo, currently vice chairwoman of the board, will serve as chairwoman until the board's next meeting, on June 21, when the regents will elect a permanent chairperson.
Valvo said that Incarnati was not pressured to step down, but added that his move makes sense, given the board's goal of being more collaborative and spending more time on campus.
"We started talking a lot about how we interact, and how we as a board want to spend our time on behalf of the university," Valvo said in a telephone interview Monday. "I think his decision was likely the product of taking a long, hard look at how much time it takes to function as a chair of a group that wants to work that way."
Valvo acknowledged Incarnati's growing work demands and said she has learned a lot from him. "I think it was a decision that something has to give," she said. "I know he loves Eastern and is committed to continuing as a fully participating member of the board, just not having to organize that participation."
Valvo said she would be honored to serve as chairwoman if elected. She was appointed to the board in June 2001, and was elected vice chairwoman in January 2004.
Rep. John Stewart, R-Plymouth, an EMU graduate who spoke at Saturday's commencement and chairs the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education, praised Valvo's recent efforts at rebuilding bridges in Lansing.
Stewart said Valvo was in Lansing from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday as she met with legislators during a day of hearings before his committee. Willis was among several presidents who spoke to legislators.
"She is meticulous in her preparation," Stewart said of Valvo. "I truly think she has the best interests of the students at heart. ...
"She is an attorney of class and consensus. She is full disclosure."
Stewart said he has worked at times with Valvo, a fellow attorney. He said that he did not know Incarnati as well, "but I know he felt very bad ... and somewhat responsible for the communication gap on University House."
Yet Stewart praised Incarnati for continuing to serve after stepping down as chairman. "He's obviously not running away," Stewart said.
Incarnati's move is the second major change on the board in the past two months. Board member Steven Gordon resigned in March, a day after Fallon was named president, citing time commitments at work.
News staff reporter Geoff Larcom can be reached at (734) 994-6838 or glarcom@annarbornews.com.