Two principals in the search firm assisting in the selection of Lander University's next president visited the Lander campus on Sept. 30 to meet with university groups, including the deans and representatives of the faculty, students and staff.
The new president will succeed Dr. Daniel Ball, who informed Lander's Board of Trustees in March of his intention to retire next June 30, closing out his 15 years as the university's 12th president.
Ken Carrick and Janny DeLoache of the search firm Coleman Lew + Associates, of Charlotte, N.C., conducted the meetings, which were meant to give campus groups an opportunity to learn more about their company and the search process. Participants were also asked to comment on the university's strengths and any challenges it faces, and to describe the attributes, qualities and characteristics they would like to see in Lander's next president.
Carrick and DeLoache said the faculty, students and staff they spoke with expressed enthusiasm and passion for the university. They described the conversations as insightful, candid and very beneficial to an understanding of the type of leader needed to address Lander's future needs.
Coleman Lew will spend the next few months identifying qualified candidates to present to Lander's Presidential Search Committee for evaluation. The committee will interview semifinalists and nominate final candidates to the Board of Trustees, who will appoint the new president.