It's a new chapter in the search for MCC's next president. That was the message from Richard Guon, chair of MCC's board of trustees, as he introduced interim college President Larry Tyree at a press briefing on Monday. Tyree, a veteran senior administrator of community colleges, was one of several candidates recommended by the SUNY board of trustees, Guon said.

Following a two-hour executive session, Tyree was selected in a unanimous vote, though Trustee Mike Nuccitelli was not present and Lori Van Dusen's replacement has not yet been appointed. Sporting a T-shirt that read "Trust Me - I'm a politician," Trustee John Parrinello praised Peter Spina as an equally good candidate before casting his vote in favor of Tyree.

Spina, former MCC president, was County Exec Maggie Brooks's choice for interim president.

Questions to Guon and Tyree kept circling back to the controversial events that led up to Tyree's appointment.

"I'm interested in moving the college forward," Tyree said. "What happened did not happen under my watch."

Acknowledging that the college's image may have been tarnished, Guon said that the search for a permanent MCC president "will look a lot different than the past."

"I can't promise that I can eliminate all of the politics," he said. "We are appointed by politicians, so the process is political by nature."

Tyree has served at three different colleges as an interim president. He was last with Independence Community College in Independence, Kansas. He starts at MCC in early August.