Presidential search update: Search firm identified

April 3, 2019

Dear faculty, staff, students and alumni,

I'd like to share the next steps in the presidential search process and let you know about a series of upcoming community forums being scheduled for the week of April 15.

The ad hoc search planning committee, composed of Regents Norm Allen, Rick Fleming, Andrea Hoch, Gary Mitchell and Susanne Stirling, has been working to identify a search firm. After reviewing eight proposals and interviewing four finalists, the committee has recommended, and the board's Executive Committee has approved, hiring Storbeck Pimentel & Associates. Managing Director Alberto Pimentel, one of the firm's co-founders, will lead the search. Storbeck Pimentel & Associates has led more than 200 president/chancellor-level searches, and the board and I have confidence that they will find us outstanding candidates.

An important part of the search process is gathering input from the community on the desired qualities of the next president. We are scheduling a series of open forums on each campus the week of April 15 to solicit your feedback. The forums will be conducted by the search firm and the schedule will be distributed tomorrow. An online anonymous survey with the same questions asked in the forums will also be made available for those who cannot attend in person.

After the forums, the search firm will meet with the Board of Regents at its upcoming April 25-26 meeting to share the community's feedback, discuss the position profile, review the process and timeline and decide whether the search will be open or confidential.

I have appointed Regent, alumnus and former president of the Pacific Alumni Association Board of Directors Norm Allen to chair the Presidential Search Committee. The board has determined the composition of the search committee to include 17 members as follows:

Two students, one undergraduate and one from either a graduate or professional school, appointed by the Associated Students of University of the Pacific.
Two staff members, of which one represents the San Francisco or Sacramento campus, appointed by the Staff Advisory Council.
Four faculty members, one member from each of the campuses, at least one representing an undergraduate school or the College, and at least one representing non-tenured/non-tenure track faculty, appointed by the Academic Council.
Two deans, one representing undergraduates and one representing a graduate or professional school, appointed by the Council of Deans.
One alumnus/a appointed by the Pacific Alumni Association Board of Directors.
Six regents, including the committee chair, appointed by the Board of Regents. Each constituent group has been encouraged to strive for diversity in gender, ethnicity and tenure of appointee(s). The board will give the search committee its charge following the April board meeting.

Hiring the university's president is one of the board's most important roles. I encourage you to participate in the forums or the survey so that we have a broad and diverse range of perspectives-one of the hallmarks of our university-in shaping the profile of our next leader.

Thank you for your continued good work. I will keep you updated throughout the search process.

Sincerely,

Kevin Huber '86
Chair, Board of Regents