UNT System

UNT Presidential Search Advisory Committee named

An Official Message from University of North Texas System Chancellor Lee Jackson - May 5, 2010

As UNT sets its course for future advancement, the selection of UNT’s next president is an important opportunity. The University of North Texas System Board of Regents is now launching the formal process which will culminate in the selection of UNT’s next president, and I have an update for you on our progress thus far.

A 23-member Presidential Search Advisory Committee has been selected to ensure a broadly representative group of university and community stakeholders, including undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff members, administrators, alumni and Denton and other community leaders. Members were nominated by the UNT Faculty Senate, Staff Council, Student Government Association and Graduate Student Council, as well as the UNT Alumni Association, UNT Foundation, and Denton Chamber of Commerce.

The search advisory committee will be led by UNT alumnus and former UNT System Board of Regents chairman Bobby Ray ('69). The committee will begin meeting in May to organize their work plans and schedule, and members will engage interested persons and groups to help identify the ideal profile of the next president of our university.

The other Presidential Search Advisory Committee members include:

UNT System Board of Regents Members

• Jack Wall (’64), former member of the UNT Foundation board, rancher and investor, and former partner and senior vice president of J.C. Bradford/UBS Paine Webber of Dallas
• Steve Mitchell (’85), City of Richardson city councilmember and lead business systems analyst
  for Thompson Reuters
  

UNT Faculty Members

• Beverly Bower, Don Buchholz endowed chair and professor of counseling and higher education
  (College of Education)
• Richard Fossey, professor of teacher education and administration (College of Education)
• Timothy Jackson, professor of music (College of Music)
• Michael McPherson, associate professor of economics (College of Arts & Sciences) and former
  Faculty Senate chairman
• Keith Owens, associate professor of design (College of Visual Arts and Design)
• Victor Prybutok, Regents professor of information technology and decision sciences (College of Business)
  

Academic Deans

• Costas Tsatsoulis, dean of the College of Engineering
• Michael Monticino, dean of the Toulouse School of Graduate Studies

Students

• Mercedes Fulbright, incoming Student Government Association vice president
• Mariya Gavrilova, Graduate Student Council member
  

Staff Members and Administrators

• Lisa Baronio, UNT vice president of advancement
• Jim Coffey ('93), UNT Police Department captain and former Staff Council chairman
• Rosemary Haggett, UNT System vice chancellor for academic affairs

UNT Foundation Representative

• Ken Newman (’66) of Denton, UNT Foundation Board chairman and retired chairman and
  CEO of Horizon Health Corp.

UNT Alumni Association Representative

• Ben Joyner (’74, ’76 MBA) of Denton, senior vice president of Compass Bank

Denton Community and Other Civic Leaders

• Mark Burroughs of Denton, City of Denton mayor
• Stan Morton of Denton, president of Presbyterian Hospital and past Denton Chamber of Commerce chairman
• Randy Robinson (’06) of Denton, president of Access 1st Capital Bank and past
  Denton Chamber of Commerce chairman
• Rhys Best (’69) of Dallas, managing director of SEREN Management LLC
• Victor Rodriguez (’55, ’62) of San Antonio, retired superintendent for
  San Antonio Independent School District
  
  

The UNT System will retain a major search firm with a successful record in higher education executive searches to provide external expertise. The committee and search firm will work together to identify candidates and encourage them to apply, review their credentials, and interview and recommend highly qualified candidates to me and the Board of Regents. We hope this process can be concluded in time for the Board’s regular meeting in February 2011. The successful candidate must be recommended by the Chancellor and approved by the Board of Regents, and I am confident we will appoint and have in place a highly capable new president before the beginning of the 2011-12 academic year.

The Board of Regents and I are confident that this search will attract a strong pool of candidates who are familiar with our flagship university’s growing reputation and want to be part of UNT’s future. With Dr. V. Lane Rawlins leading the university during the 2010-2011 academic year, I am certain UNT will continue to make progress toward its strategic goals. Dr. Rawlins will assume the university presidency on May 14, 2010.

I appreciate the dedication and service provided by UNT Interim President Phil C. Diebel to our flagship university, and I thank all of you for your continued commitment to build on UNT’s successes every day.

Best regards,
Lee Jackson
Chancellor, UNT System

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