July 18

To: Members of the College Community
From: Bob Duelks Chair of the Presidential Search Committee and member of the Board of Trustees
Date: July 18, 2008
Subject: Update on the Presidential Search

Greetings everyone. I hope you are all enjoying a pleasant summer. The purpose of this brief note is to communicate our progress on the search for our next President. The Presidential Search Committee (PSC) held its inaugural meeting in Baltimore on June 30 and July 1.

Prior to the meeting in Baltimore, the PSC asked a subset of its members to conduct a two-step screening process of the executive search firms who responded to our request for proposals. Of the eleven nationally recognized firms who submitted proposals, three firms were invited to make final presentations to the PSC at the inaugural meeting.

While at the meeting, the PSC members participated in an enlightening Presidential Search Workshop sponsored by the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges. The committee then listened to presentations by the three finalist executive search firms. After careful deliberation, the committee decided to retain Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates of Media, PA, a very experienced search practice specializing in leadership positions in higher education and other not-for-profit settings. Shelly Storbeck and Susan VanGilder are the Storbeck/Pimentel principals who will work directly on the Gettysburg College presidential search.

Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates offers customized searches that respond to the specific needs of each client. The firm's services are comprehensive and offer support from recruitment through contract negotiation. The PSC and the Board of Trustees are committed to attract a deep and diverse applicant pool. As a minority and female-owned organization, Storbeck/Pimentel takes particular pride in its strong commitment to and record in attracting the strongest and most diverse applicants.

Storbeck/Pimentel has served a wide variety of institutions, ranging from presidential placements at liberal arts colleges such as Wellesley, Vassar, and Bates to research universities, including the University of Michigan, Colgate, and Duke. The firm is currently conducting presidential searches for Swarthmore College and for St. Lawrence University.

With the help of Storbeck/Pimentel, the search committee plans a rigorous search that will last several months. Ms. Storbeck and Ms. VanGilder will be on campus on July 22 and 23 to begin the search's fact-finding phase. During their visit, they will meet with members of President's Council and the President's Office staff.

Consultation with the College community will begin during the last two weeks of August when members of the PSC will meet with alumni and parent leadership groups in New York, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Gettysburg and Southern Connecticut. In early September, Ms. Storbeck and Ms. VanGilder along with members of the PSC will be on campus to meet with faculty, administrators, staff, and students. The findings of these meetings will help Storbeck/Pimentel and the search committee refine the characteristics and qualities that they will seek in our new leader and to develop a position profile. That profile will be used to attract candidates and will also serve as a marketing tool for the College. We strongly urge you to attend these open meetings to share your ideas and suggestions related to the search process. You will hear more about these sessions when the schedules have been finalized.

During the fall, the search committee will solicit nominations and begin the screening process. The PSC anticipates conducting extensive interviews with 10-12 semifinalists, with the help of Storbeck/Pimentel. The results of these interviews will determine how many candidates will be invited to the final interview process, a process that will include more members of the campus community.

The PSC has the goal of completing the selection process in the very early part of 2009. We will inform you of our progress and give you a better sense of the schedule as the process moves forward.

The Presidential Search Committee is dedicated to finding a great leader for Gettysburg College-one who possesses the right characteristics and qualities to fill the needs of the College at this stage of its evolution. Please take advantage of opportunities to become involved in the search process. Your insight and those of all of our colleagues collectively will help Gettysburg College reach its full potential under the guidance of an inspirational leader.

In closing, let me thank you for your interest and continued support of Gettysburg College. We are at a new beginning for our beloved institution. I truly believe the College is well positioned and poised for even greater success and national recognition over the next few years.