SIERRA VISTA — As new Cochise College President J.D. Rottweiler settles into his first month on the job, he admits a certain degree of pressure comes with succeeding a leader who served the college for more than two decades.

New Cochise College President J.D. Rottweiler is prepared for the challenges ahead.

“Those are huge shoes to fill,” Rottweiler said of the educational sneakers worn by former President Karen Nicodemus during her 23 years at Cochise — 11 spent as president. “But I’ll tell you, it’s much easier to fill shoes when things are going well and there’s no major changes that need to occur.”

Rottweiler said he was drawn to the job at Cochise, in part, because he and his family wanted to stay in the West after he served as the executive vice president of Central Wyoming College for the past seven years, but also because he appreciates the mission of rural college such as Cochise.

“I like working with colleges that are community-controlled, that have a governing board that has a say and influence and can direct things. Certainly, the institution is in great shape. The college has a great foundation, enrollments are strong and it’s meeting community needs. ... I view my role as, ‘What can I do to bring added value?’ ”

Cochise College District Governing Board Chairwoman Jan Guy said Rottweiler was selected from a nationwide panel of applicants because of his “visionary leadership.”

“I know he has a passion and enthusiasm for community colleges,” Guy said. “We’re not a college that’s broke. We are a college that is very well-positioned, and I know he will continue that leadership.”

Board member Jane Strain added: “Like any new leader, J.D. will make, I’d guess, some incremental changes. Obviously, Karen and (Cochise College Executive Vice-president) Joanna (Michelich) have left him a wonderful legacy. But I know he is very focused on the mission and understands the population of our students.”

Members of the board said Rottweiler — who received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Wyoming before earning a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Utah — was also chosen because he understands the role technology will have in shaping the future of higher education and what that will mean to Cochise.

“Technology is always going to be vital, especially when you live in rural areas,” Rottweiler said. “As long as this college has a mission of trying to provide accessible educational opportunities ... technology is going make things more and more accessible.”

Last week, the new president attended the groundbreaking of the Willcox Center, a new building that will replace outdated facilities the college had in the city.

Rottweiler said the new center is a key part of the mission to spread the college’s educational opportunities throughout the county.

“As a community college district, we have to provide educational services to those who live in our district. We need to do our very best to accommodate and provide those services for all the students across the county. That comes, obviously, with some balance. We can’t provide everything to everybody at any given time, but have the ability to balance.”

Rottweiler said one of his main goals as he begins his first year as head of the college is to build more partnerships that provide “win-win” relationships between the college and members of the community.

He said the college bears an especially great responsibility to the community during tough economic times.

“Community colleges almost work backward to the economy in the sense that when the economy gets tight, community college enrollments go up,” Rottweiler said. The college’s mission is to “balance and provide the very best services we can, while recognizing our resources. The college has a well-established strategic plan outlining the directions of where it wants to go, and we’ll continue to use that to provide services that we can.”

Terms of employment

J.D. Rottweiler’s contract with Cochise College started July 1 and ends June 30, 2012, according to information provided by Robert F. Howell, the college’s vice president for human resources, at the request of the Herald/Review.

Rottweiler’s annual salary is set at $191,500. His predecessor, Karen Nicodemus, who had more years of experience, was paid $213,857. Rottweiler’s contract allows the college governing board to reduce his salary by a pro rata amount in any year that the Arizona Legislature or other funding source fails to fund college staff salaries.

Rottweiler also is provided with “the cost of regular and ordinary upkeep and maintenance on a vehicle” and a college gasoline credit card that is not expected to exceed $750 per month.