Presidential Candidate Joe Bertolino

Dr. Joe Bertolino is not the traditional candidate.

He never aspired to be a college president and was a high school teacher who had no thoughts of higher education.

"I didn't come through the ranks of faculty," Bertolino said. "I'm a faculty member. I'm a department chair. I'm a scholar practitioner, but I've been an administrator the bulk of my career."

Bertolino is currently at Queens College/City University of New York. Coming from the city into the Northeast Kingdom will be different.

"The biggest change for me will be a different type of diversity," he said. "I am currently in an environment that is racially, ethnically, culturally, and religiously very diverse. Here the diversity is different. It is regional and it socioeconomic. That will probably be a big adjustment for me."

It is not just the people that he will have to adjust to, if offered the position, but also the weather and the atmosphere. He knows that there will not be as to do as compared to New York City.

"It really does force you to build community here," said Bertolino. "It helps to create a home and a community within and of itself. I may not be going anywhere, but that is because I'm going to the game or I'm going to the cafeteria. I've lived on every college campus that I've worked at. This would be no different for me. I enjoy living on campus."

His background in organizational leadership and higher education as well as social work and counseling give him a different outlook on problem solving.

"This job is all about relationships and community building," he said. "I tend to follow, in terms of my leadership style, a relational leadership model. Leadership is all about relationships. I'd like to think that having a background as a social worker and as a counselor has helped me in forming relationships and has helped me to think critically about how relationships work. It helps me to be sensitive to others and be a bit more nurturing."

At 48 years old, his leadership abilities and relationship skills will be tested as he tries to lead those older than he. It is not a situation he is unfamiliar with because when he took his current position the man he replaced was 72.

"Because I've already been through that experience where everyone I've supervised has been older than I have been, you learn to value the history that others have and the experiences that people bring to the table," said Bertolino. "There are people who have been here for a very long time. It's very important for us to utilize their skill set, their experience, their understanding of the culture and the history."

He sees where Lyndon State College is now and likes where the school is headed. He hopes to be a part of its future and that means sticking around for a few years.

"You really don't see the fruits of your labor until your third, fourth or fifth year," said Bertolino. "I'm not just going to uproot my life to pass through. That's just not where I am at this stage in my career and this stage of my life. I'm looking for a place to call home. I'm looking for a place to make a difference and to enjoy the experience and to build something."

The one thing that stuck out for him was compassion.

"People here care," he said. "They care about students. There is a community here."