The search for Gannon University’s next president has been quietly progressing since the November announcement of the departure of Antoine M. Garibaldi, Ph.D.
The Search Committee was appointed on Dec. 16 and met Jan. 10. The Rev. Nicholas Rouch, the committee’s chair, said the group has met once since then and communicate regularly via email.
The group’s first responsibility was to write the Leadership Profile to help prospective candidates learn about Gannon and the kind of person they are looking for. The profile has been on Gannon’s website since Jan. 20.
The 15-member Search Committee will meet again April 1, and the first round of interviews will fall in the second week of April.
Rouch said the next step is for the committee to review applicant materials and decide who to invite for the first round of interviews.
John Thornburgh and his associates from the Witt/Kieffer executive search firm have been assisting Gannon’s Search Committee. According to Rouch, Thornburgh was on campus in December to listen to members of Gannon’s community as they discussed the university’s success and their hopes about the next presidency. Witt/Kieffer interacts with possible applicants with the goal of delivering a strong pool of applicants for consideration.
Rouch said it’s worth noting that 10 of the 15 members of the committee are Gannon alumni. The Search Committee also includes Thomas Panighetti, president of the Student Government Association.
“It’s clear to me that the members of the Search Committee take this responsibility very seriously, and are willing to devote significant time to the work involved,” Rouch said. “Gannon is in a very good position to attract a strong pool of candidates.”
According to Rouch, the Search Committee is currently on schedule and they hope to have a recommendation to the Board of Trustees and Bishop Trautman in May.
For updates on the search, click on the “Presidential Search” icon on Gannon’s homepage.
