Like Janus of Roman mythology--who had influence over the way things began and ended and who was always represented as facing in both directions--today's community college president faces two opposite poles. On one hand, s/he luxuriates in the memory of the 1960's, when new community colleges were opened almost every week and the college president functioned as an educational entrepreneur. On the other hand, s/he faces an uncertain future plagued with financial difficulties which force him/her to act as a manager of limited resources, caught in the middle of public pressure groups, governance issues, and collective bargaining disputes. The acceptance of this new role is made difficult by the disappearance of numerous advantages enjoyed by college presidents in the 1960's. College autonomy is especially threatened by the state's increased role in the control and coordination of higher education, and the president has had to share his/her authority with legislatures and statutory boards who are removed from the subtleties and complexities of local situations. Indications are that the conditions will worsen for community colleges and their presidents, making the challenges for creativity greater than ever before. (JP)