presidential search
Welcome Letter
from James B. Stewart, Jr., 2004-07 Chair of the Board of Trustees and member of the Presidential Search Committee
Welcome to the web site for DePauw's presidential search. This will serve as the communications center for the search for a new president to succeed Robert G. Bottoms, who announced in April 2007 that he would retire at the end of the 2007-2008 academic year after 21 years as DePauw's president.
I believe this important undertaking is an exciting opportunity for all members of the DePauw community to join together to build on the strengths and momentum Dr. Bottoms has achieved during his tenure. We hope you will use this site to share your views as the search progresses and to keep abreast of developments. Whatever the basis for your interest in the future of DePauw-- alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff, donors, Greencastle residents, and friends of the University-- we welcome your participation and value your contributions. The choice of a new president is possibly the most important function delegated to the Board of Trustees, and we will benefit from your wisdom, experience and advice.
After Dr. Bottoms announced his retirement, I named trustee Sarah Wallace to chair the search committee. Since then I have asked eight additional trustees, four faculty members, two students, and one administrator to comprise the committee, along with myself. They have enthusiastically accepted this important assignment. Among other qualities, they were chosen for their dedication to DePauw. As I said in the charge to the committee, I could have filled its membership many times over with outstanding members of the DePauw community and had many volunteers. I am especially pleased that the committee members reflect the tradition and diversity that make DePauw so distinctive.
Working closely with the committee will be Nancy Mistretta of Russell Reynolds Associates, a global search firm headquartered in New York. Nancy and her firm were chosen after extensive interviews by committee members with several prominent academic search firms.
You can learn more about the members of the committee, how they were chosen, and the selection of our consultant by reading the accompanying announcement of the committee members and the charge to the committee. Additional materials will be posted as the search proceeds. We hope to be as open and candid as possible consistent with the need to maintain the strict confidentiality which is inherent in any search.
Please visit us often on this site. We look forward to hearing from you, sharing our progress and, if all goes as we hope, announcing a new president this coming spring with the vision and energy to lead DePauw to even greater heights.
