By Julia Mericle
Managing Editor
The St. Bonaventure University Board of Trustees announced the presidential search committee members last week, completing the first step of the presidential search.
Trustees chose James Meyer, a board member, and Leslie C. Quick III, an emeritus board member to co-chair the search committee.
Meyer, class of ’76 and ’79, acts as chief executive officer of SiriusXM Radio, Inc. Quick, class of ’75, works as a managing partner and founding partner of Massey Quick & Co., LLC, a wealth management and investment consulting company.
Board representatives on the search committee include Kathleen Colucci, ’77; Fr. Kevin Mullen, O.F.M.; Paul McDonald, ’80; Kristan McMahon, ’97; and Yvonne Minor-Ragan, Ph.D.
Campus representatives include Pauline Hoffmann, Ph.D., dean of the school of journalism and mass communication; Haylei John, sophomore international studies and Spanish major; Parker Suddeth, coordinator of the Damietta Center for Multicultural Student Affairs; Robin Valeri, Ph.D, chair of the psychology department; and Megan Walsh, Ph.D, assistant professor of English.
Hoffmann said she was pleasantly surprised to be asked to serve on the committee.
“I certainly didn’t hesitate for a second when I was asked,” Hoffmann said. “This search committee is incredibly important and I take very seriously my role in helping to choose our next president.”
Her responsibilities include helping to create the job description and selecting semi-finalists and finalists for the position, before helping to decide the 21st president of the university, according to Hoffmann.
Hoffmann said being an alumna and dean allow her to understand the community and culture at Bonaventure.
John said she accepted a position on the committee because she recognizes the importance of having a student voice present.
John has experience as a resident assistant, orientation leader, Freshman Leadership Program mentor and vice president of the sophomore class. She said these experiences have exposed her to a variety of people and viewpoints on campus, which will allow her to be a beneficial member of the committee.
Walsh said she hopes to help support the university in the transition.
“As we transition to a new period of leadership, I want to help ensure that our students – who amaze me every day with their intelligence, drive and generosity- and our faculty- who are leaders in their fields of expertise- have the resources they need to continue to achieve excellence,” Walsh said.
Nearly two months of consultation from various board leaders and research on related literature preceded the appointment of the search committee, according to Robert J. Daugherty, the board of trustees chairman in a press release to the university.
Daugherty said search committee members must be in touch with the student body and understand the future Bonaventure is trying to create under the administration of a 21st president of the university.
The presidential search committee plans to complete campus listening sessions by April 30, 2016 and launch the search publicly by June 20, 2016.The committee plans to name a new president by Dec. 31, 2016, who will start in July 2017, according to a schedule on the press release.
The board of trustees has begun to formulate a subcommittee to address the need for an interim president for the year between the date when Sr. Margaret Carney, O.F.M., university president, steps down and the new president begins, according to Daugherty in the press release. He said the interim president would not be considered a candidate for the position of university president.
For more information on the presidential search and biographies of the committee members, go to sbu.edu under “About SBU” and “Presidential Search.”
mericlje13@bonaventure.edu
