Feb. 8, 2021: Presidential Search Committee

Feb. 8, 2021

Augustana community:

As the chair of the Augustana College Board of Trustees and chair of the Presidential Search Committee, I want to follow up and provide information about the process to select the ninth president of Augustana College.  

Selecting a president is one of the most important responsibilities of any board of trustees. As someone who has worked closely with President Bahls over the last several years, I understand the challenge before us. At the same time, I am also very confident that Augustana is in a strong position, and we will identify a successor who will carry on the legacy of Augustana College and successfully lead us into the future.

The board has established a Presidential Search Committee to assist in the selection. We have worked to create a broadly representative and diverse committee, while also attempting to keep the committee at a size that allows us to work effectively.

The search committee includes: 

John Murabito '80, chair and trustee
Wiley Adams '82, trustee
Barbara Lundblad '66, trustee
Michael Gapen '91, trustee
Gail Richard '76, trustee
Lee Selander '72, trustee
Diane Hill '66, trustee
Dr. Doug Parvin, faculty 
Dr. Megan Havard-Rockwell, faculty 
Dr. Mariano Magalhães, faculty
Liz Nino, administrator
Kelly Bethke, coach, faculty
Lauren Hall '22, student

The search committee will partner with professionals from Academic Search, a Washington, D.C.-based firm that specializes in leadership level search for colleges. They will assist with the national search for highly qualified candidates to serve as our president. 

Our team from Academic Search includes two former college presidents: Jay Lemons, president and senior consultant, and Sharon Herzberger, senior consultant; and Jennifer Kooken, consultant. You can expect to see them virtually, and later in person on campus.  

I want to be sure that you have plenty of opportunities to share your views on what attributes will be critical for Augustana’s next president. One of the key ways we will obtain this information is through virtual sessions led by Academic Search to hear from the campus community what skills and qualities candidates should possess. 

You will have an opportunity to participate in these listening sessions between Feb. 24-26. Please watch for email invitations to these important opportunities to share your thoughts. I encourage you to participate!

John Murabito, Chair of the Augustana Board of Trustees