The Search for Salisbury University’s 10th President

The selection and appointment of Salisbury University’s President is, by law, the responsibility and prerogative of the University System of Maryland (USM) Board of Regents. The USM provides a procedural framework for the search and selection of university presidents within the System. This process is designed to assist the board in meeting its responsibility in a manner responsive to the leadership needs of the institution and the USM.

The USM Board of Regents’ search for SU’s 10th President was launched by Chancellor Jay Perman on October 7. Board of Regents Assistant Secretary Robert Rauch chaired the SU President Search and Screening Committee, and the committee itself reflected the SU community, with representation among students, faculty, staff, alumni and University stakeholders. Vice Chancellor Jo Boughman served as the Chancellor’s liaison to the search committee. A town hall meeting with Chancellor Perman regarding the search was held Thursday, November 11.

National executive search firm Academic Search facilitated the work of the committee, whose members screened and interviewed presidential candidates, and submitted a shortlist of those best suited for the job to the USM Board of Regents for consideration. Members of the campus and greater communities were invited to submit nominations for outstanding individuals for consideration as SU’s next leader. A search prospectus, with application information, was available online.

To facilitate the recruitment of high-caliber candidate pools, searches for USM presidents are closed, meaning the identity of candidates are not publicly disclosed during the search process. The search was inclusive and reflected input from the campus and community to ensure selection was the product of stakeholder engagement.

• Announcing SU's Next President Dr. Carolyn Ringer Lepre - May 3, 2022
• Firm Seeks Faculty, Staff Input for Presidential Search - January 14, 2022
• SU Presidential Search Committee - December 15, 2021
• SU Presidential Search Announcement from USM Chancellor Jay Perman - October 8, 2021

• Robert Rauch, Search Committee Chair — Regent, University System of Maryland
• Louise Anderson — Associate Professor, Music
• Thomas Cawthern — Associate Professor, Geography and Geosciences
• Vanessa Collins ’02, ‘04 — Chair, Staff Senate, Research Accounting & Compliance
• Gerry DiBartolo — Director, Athletics and Campus Recreation
• Mike Dunn ‘84 — President/CEO, Greater Salisbury Committee
• Michele Garigliano ‘83 — Chair, SU Foundation Board of Directors
• Beatriz Hardy — Dean, Libraries and Instructional Resources
• Julius Jones ’06, ‘09 — Executive Officer, FEMA
• Lili Leonard ’09, ‘11 — President, SU Alumni Association
• Deneen Long-White — Assistant Professor, Public Health
• Yuki Okubo — Associate Professor, Psychology
• Tyler Patton ’05, ‘08 — Director of State Government Affairs, Verizon
• Alexander Pope — Associate Professor, Secondary and Physical Education
• Tina Reid — Professor, Nursing
• Tim Robinson ’93, ‘06 — Chair, Adjunct Faculty Caucus, History
• Margaret Sebastian — Director, TRIO Student Support Services
• Corey Sharp — IT Support Associate, Information Technology
• Andy Smarick — Regent, University System of Maryland
• Jessica Strange ‘20 — President, Graduate Student Council
• Christy Weer ‘96 — Dean, Perdue School of Business
• Sonya Whited — Director, Perdue Farms
• Andrew Wilson — President, Student Government Association

Known as “Maryland’s Coastal College Town,” the City of Salisbury long has been the crossroads of the historic Delmarva Peninsula. Located in Wicomico County (population over 102,000), the city is less than an hour away from the Atlantic Ocean, which is dotted with popular vacation destinations such as Ocean City, MD; Assateague Island; and Rehoboth Beach, DE. Situated on the Wicomico River, Salisbury is approximately half an hour away from the beautiful Chesapeake Bay, the nation’s largest estuary and a hub for environmental research.

The Eastern Shore of Maryland is steeped in history. SU’s Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture is home to some of the nation’s oldest genealogical records.

Home to some 7,500 students, SU has been a partner in reinvigorating downtown Salisbury, just two miles from campus, with facilities including the Dave and Patsy Rommel Center for Entrepreneurship, SU Art Galleries Downtown and the Eastern Shore Regional GIS Cooperative. All are part of SU Downtown, a satellite campus in the heart of Salisbury. University students, and performing artists also are engaged with the city’s Arts & Entertainment District’s popular monthly 3rd Friday celebrations and the National Folk Festival, which Salisbury has hosted since 2018.

The campus is a cultural center for the region, with exhibits, the Salisbury Symphony Orchestra (a town-gown collaboration), a National Public Radio group (three stations divided between SU and the nearby University of Maryland Eastern Shore), space for Wicomico County’s public access television station (PAC 14), and a robust roster of performing arts and other events.

The University includes five academic schools endowed by Eastern Shore entrepreneurs and supporters, as well as health-based college containing three additional schools and the Center for Healthy Communities. Area businesses (many alumni owned) welcome student interns.

SU graduates have found careers with Perdue Farms, one of the nation’s largest agribusiness companies with corporate headquarters in Salisbury, as well as TidalHealth, an award-winning hospital system locally serving four counties in two states. With SU, they constitute a significant employer base for the Eastern Shore. A 2016 study showed the University contributing nearly a half billion dollars annually to the region’s economy.

Learn more about SU, its success stories and its connections with the local community.

Q: Why is confidentiality so important in a search process?
Many of our candidates will hold key positions at other institutions and will only submit an application if confidentiality is guaranteed. Members of the search committee have signed an agreement that secures confidentiality for all discussions and deliberations related to the search. A copy of the confidentiality statement guiding the work of the search committee will be available.

Q: What is the role of the Search Committee Chair?
The search chair is the official spokesperson for the search committee and is, thus, the only individual authorized to speak on behalf of the search committee and the search process. The chair will provide regular updates to the campus community and can address any questions or concerns from members of the community through the duration of the search.

Q: What is the role of the Search Committee?
The search committee is charged with developing a comprehensive leadership profile that will used in the recruitment of candidates, conducting an intensive and extensive proactive search for qualified candidates, and selecting a shortlist of semifinalists for consideration by the Board of Regents.

Q: What information can Search Committee members share with me?
The information search committee members are able to share with the campus community is limited. The committee members are bound by a code of ethics and confidentiality agreement that require they not share any information discussed during search committee meetings, nor any information related to candidates, even after the search has closed.

Q: Whom do I contact if I want to share specific information or if I have a question about the search?
Please send an email to SalisburyPresident@academicsearch.org with questions or comments regarding the search.

Q: Will there be regular updates on the search?
Yes; the search chair will provide regular updates to the campus community via campus email at critical points in the search. These updates also will be posted under “Communications,” above.

Q: How can I make a nomination?
Nominations for candidates or search committee members may be made submitted to SalisburyPresident@academicsearch.org. We ask that you carefully review the qualifications and experiences as outlined in the search profile before submitting a candidate nomination. Your nomination will go directly to the search consultant(s) who will reach out to the nominee. The search consultant(s) will not provide your name to the nominee, but you are free to do so.

Q: Are internal candidates treated any differently than external candidates?
Internal candidates are vetted in the same way as external candidates. All candidates are assessed based on the criteria laid out in the search profile. The committee very carefully selects the strongest candidates, either internal or external, for further consideration based on the required and desired qualifications.

Q: When will the appointee take office?
SU’s 10th President is expected to assume office on July 1, 2022.