When he became chancellor of the flagship University of Massachusetts campus in 2002, John Lombardi had his philosophy stamped on coffee mugs he gave to his staff, faculty and donors: Money Matters. Performance Counts. Time is the Enemy.With his impending departure under an administrative shake-up announced last month, he's now getting mixed reviews on his money-raising abilities and job performance at UMass Amherst.
And some say Lombardi -- described by critics and supporters as brilliant and irreverent -- was his own worst enemy.
"John has lacked the proper respect for the board of trustees as a governing body," said Ruben King-Shaw Jr., a UMass trustee who chaired a review of Lombardi's job performance about a year ago. "His interactions... could be dismissive and he didn't want to be on the team."
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