Dear Ithaca College Community,
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, we are pleased to announce the launch of the process to select the 10th president of Ithaca College. This is an important time in our 129-year history—our challenges are many, and our opportunities even greater. As such, the selection of our next president will set the tone for our future and will lead the way as we continue to deliver on our mission. The process will be a diligent one and will include collaborative opportunities for all members of the Ithaca College community to express their thoughts and feedback.
As the first step in the process, we are announcing the formation of a search committee that will be chaired by David Fleisher ’91, a long-serving member of the Board of Trustees whose IC roots run deep: He was president of the Student Governance Council and of the Alumni Association Board of Directors and is the parent of a 2020 graduate.
In order to ensure broad representation, collaboration and diverse perspectives, the committee of 15 individuals will include a mix of trustees and the elected leaders of our Faculty Council, Staff Council, Student Governance Council and Alumni Association. The committee will also include an academic dean and two additional members of the IC faculty to be named in the near future. The two of us will serve as ex officio members of the committee.
- Chair, Dave Fleisher ’91, Trustee
- Michael J. Conover ’81, Trustee
- Jack Dembow ’77, Trustee
- Deontae Guy ’23, President, Student Governance Council
- Traci Hughes ’85, Trustee
- Tanya Hutchins ’89, President, Alumni Association Board of Directors
- Clint McCartney, Chair, Staff Council
- Chris McNamara '81, Chair, Faculty Council
- Kathy Newlands ’89, Trustee
- Mary George Opperman, Trustee
- Linda Petrosino '77, M.S. ’78, Dean
- Jeff Selingo ’95, Trustee
- Jan Singer ’86, Trustee
- Two additional faculty members to be appointed from among Faculty Council nominees.
Brief bios of each of the committee members can be found on the presidential search website.
As a next step, we will soon select a search firm which will serve as the consultant to the committee. Once selected, we will communicate the firm and key consultants who will be working with the committee.
As a reminder, it is important to note that the primary role of the search committee, working in partnership with our consultants, is to 1) develop a leadership profile of our next president which includes getting feedback from the entire IC community, 2) evaluate potential candidates, and 3) deliver to the Board of Trustees qualified finalists for consideration. It is the legal and fiduciary responsibility of the Board of Trustees to make the final selection of our next president.
Dave Fleisher will serve as the spokesperson for the committee and will share periodic updates and additional details with the campus community. Please direct any questions or comments to presidentialsearch@ithaca.edu.
We want to thank all of those who have agreed to serve on the committee for their commitment to this process and to Ithaca College. We look forward to welcoming the remaining members in the near future.
Sincerely,
David H. Lissy ’87
Chair, Ithaca College Board of Trustees
Jim Nolan ’77
Vice Chair, Ithaca College Board of Trustees