Pulitzer Prize-winning newsman and Des Moines
Cityview co-owner Michael Gartner is facing a revolt by the board of regents -- which he chairs -- over accusations that he is scaring away the university's most promising presidential candidates, reports the Associated Press. As the school struggles to find and keep a president, Gartner's critics say he is "tactless, abrasive and ill-suited to the collegial ways of academia," according to the report. His supporters admit he can be prickly, but chalk it up to his preference for results-oriented leadership. Gartner says his modus operandi changed after his 17-year-old son died unexpectedly of diabetes in 1994. "I've always been outspoken. But I became even more outspoken," he says. "Because, I figure, what's the worst thing could happen to me than what's already happened? Why pull your punches? Just do what you think is right.''
