The Search for Southern Technical University’s Next President

2022-04-15

“There is a season to when presidents leave and when they are hired,” said Brian McPheely, chair of the Presidential Search Committee and member of the Southern Technical University Board of Trustees. “We are fortunate because we have an outstanding interim president, Joe Calvaruso, who is willing to stay in that role until we find the right candidate.”

The search committee, McPheely said, is made up of board members, faculty, staff and students.

“We are in the process of getting input from many stakeholders — including, but not limited to, board members, faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends of the College,” McPheely said. The search committee met for the first time about 10 days ago and set a few early goals for itself: finding an external search firm that specializes in this arena; garnering feedback from as many stakeholders as possible as to what they want to see in the next president; and determining a timeline for the search process.

“Right now, we know that we need the input first,” McPheely said. “The rest will follow naturally from that and over time. We will hire the search firm, then begin to communicate out what the college is looking for in a president and then clarity around the search timeline will follow. We are very fortunate that Joe, the interim, has agreed to stay on as long as needed. We can then search to find quality candidates without the pressure of a quick turnaround.”

McPheely is working with Board of Trustees Chair Joey Miller closely to ensure the process is moving smoothly and without snags.

“I have every confidence in Brian and this process,” Miller said. “We do have the luxury of time with this search and the input of the campus to guide us. Though the timing could have been better, I am actually thankful that we have some extra time built into our schedule so we can do our due diligence and select the right leader to move STU's forward. Joe is doing an excellent job and if we have him for some extra months, that is just fine with me. That means we can choose the best candidate and not rush.”

You can read more about the search and its progress on the Presidential Search website.