Board Chairman Appoints Chancellor Search Committee

 Rick Berndt to serve as Chair 

June 10, 2014 (Adelphi, Md.) -- James L. Shea, chairman of the University System of Maryland (USM) Board of Regents, today announced the appointment of a 10-member search-and-screening committee to recruit and review candidates for chancellor of the system. William E. Kirwan, USM chancellor since August 2002, last month announced his plans to step down from the position.

Chairing the search-and-screening committee is Rick O. Berndt, managing partner of Gallagher Evelius & Jones LLP, a Baltimore law firm. Berndt is also a former member of the USM Board of Regents.

The other members of the committee, which comprises regents and representatives from the faculty, staff, student body, USM Foundation Board, and the national higher education community, are:

  • Norman R. Augustine, a USM regent and retired chair and CEO of Lockheed Martin;
  • Molly Corbett Broad, president, American Council on Education;
  • Marcia Cephus, director of alumni & donor relations, Coppin State University;
  • S. James Gates, USM Regents Professor, UM Distinguished University Professor and John S. Toll Professor of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park;
  • Louise Michaux Gonzales, a USM regent and partner and co-founder of Hylton & Gonzales, a Baltimore law firm;
  • Clifford M. Kendall, chairman of VSE Corporation, member of the USM Foundation Board, and former chairman of the USM Board of Regents;
  • Samim Manizade, a USM regent and student in the physics/engineering dual-degree program offered jointly by Salisbury University and the University of Maryland, College Park;
  • Frank M. Reid III, a USM regent and senior pastor of Bethel African-American Episcopal Church in Baltimore;
  • Dennis R. Wraase, incoming chair of the USM Foundation and retired chairman & CEO of Pepco Holdings, Inc.

Serving as the USM liaison to the committee is Katie Ryan, senior advisor to USM Chancellor Kirwan.

"The Board of Regents appreciates these individuals' willingness to serve," said Board Chairman Shea. "Each committee member brings valuable expertise and perspectives to this important assignment of identifying final candidates with the leadership ability, experience, accomplishments, and vision needed to guide the system and serve the state in the years ahead."

During the next several months, the committee will review nominations and applications for the position, conduct interviews with selected candidates, and forward top candidates to the Board of Regents, which will make the final selection. Assisting the committee is Witt/Kieffer, an executive search firm.

Comprising 12 institutions and two regional higher education centers, the University System of Maryland is a recognized leader in many areas, including academic and research excellence, academic transformation, and the effective and efficient use of resources. The system is also a key driver of the state's economic development, especially in the areas of workforce development, technology transfer, and commercialization. To learn more about USM, visit:  www.usmd.edu.

                                                     


 

Contact: Anne Moultrie
Phone: 301.445.2722
Email: amoultrie@usmd.edu