Spring Break
Pennoni discusses 'Taki,' president search
Stephanie Takach
Issue date: 6/5/09 Section: News
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The president, who is working pro bono for the University, said he believes in the expression, "We can't guarantee you success, but we can guarantee you honesty and integrity."
Pennoni, a Drexel alumnus and chairman of Pennoni Associates, Inc., was appointed to interim president April 2 after the late President Constantine Papadakis took medical leave.
A president to remember from day one
"I knew [Papadakis] had a provision in his contract for a sabbatical, a six-month fully-paid [one], and he never took it, so I was trying to convince him to go on sabbatical and get his strength back, and he basically felt that Drexel was his whole life and he didn't want to do that," Pennoni said.
However, Richard A. Greenawalt, chairman of the board of trustees, said it would be a requirement for Papadakis to go on sabbatical to get his health and strength back. Pennoni was then asked if he would be willing to go in as interim president during that time.
"[Papadakis] passed away three days later, April 5, so that came as a real shock and needless to say a real disappointment because in addition to being president of the University, he was a personal friend," Pennoni said.
Pennoni added that when the board asked him to become interim president, he recommended others and did not expect to come back to Drexel after serving as interim president in 1994.
So what drew Pennoni in the first place to hire Papadakis 14 years ago as President of Drexel University? Papadakis did his homework on Drexel and the Board members.
"The thing I remember most about the interview was that he walked in with a two-inch or more loose-leaf binder, and when the search committee was interviewing him, it sat in front of him closed," Pennoni said. "After the interview, when the chairman asked if he had any questions, he opened up the binder and started to interview the committee because he had a binder full of information about Drexel University."
Papadakis' biggest contribution to Drexel was his leadership, Pennoni said. Around 14 to 15 years ago, Drexel was a different school and the University was struggling financially and physically.
"There were five buildings that were actually moth-balled, the student body was down, the quality of the student body was down. I would say if you were to ask me was there a positive in '94, '95 … it was the faculty," Pennoni said. "I think Drexel always had good faculty. And a good core curriculum."
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