July 17, 2024
Dear Gonzaga Alumni and Friends:
I hope that your summer is going well. As Chair of the committee charged with the search for Gonzaga’s next president, I wanted to provide you with an update on the search process to date. Shortly after President McCulloh’s retirement announcement on April 22nd, the firm hired by the Board of Trustees to assist in the search process, Russell Reynolds Associates, visited campus and held a series of listening sessions with key constituents. These were followed by a series of web-hosted listening sessions and an online survey, which elicited a significant amount of input to the search committee regarding what constituents are hoping for in the new president. I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who participated in providing feedback, all of which have been very helpful to the search process.
Informed by the feedback noted above, a presidential leadership profile has been developed and is now available on Gonzaga’s presidential search website. Russell Reynolds Associates is working now to identify potential candidates and invites nominations from, or on behalf of, potential candidates. Nominations may be made directly to Russell Reynolds via e-mail at: gonzaga@russellreynolds.com.
I would like to share an important aspect of the search with you so that everyone who has a stake in its outcome is aware of, and can understand the logic behind, its reasoning. There are nearly 4,000 higher education institutions in the United States, and a significant number of them are currently in the process of searching for presidents, chancellors and senior leaders. Our search firm has thus recommended, in this highly competitive environment, that the search process be optimized by holding the identity of viable candidates as confidential through the conclusion of the process. As opposed to an open process, the candidates will be interviewed by the members of the search committee but will not be publicly introduced to the university community until a successful appointment is made. The hope of the search committee is that this optimizes the chances of finding the most qualified candidate to lead Gonzaga in its next phase, including from among presidents who currently lead other universities.
For this reason, a robust and representative search committee has been appointed to facilitate the process of vetting candidates, checking references, identifying finalists, and recommending viable candidates to the Board of Trustees. Presuming a successful search and at its conclusion, the Board will make the appointment with an announcement anticipated in early 2025.
If you have any questions regarding the search or this communication, please feel free to reach out to me via email at psc@gonzaga.edu. Thank you for your support of this important process.
Christy M. Larsen (BA '88)
Chair of the Board of Trustees and
Chair of the Presidential Search Committee