USM Chancellor Perman Appoints Presidential Search Committee for Towson University
Baltimore, MD (Feb. 10, 2023) – Jay A. Perman, chancellor of the University System of Maryland (USM), has appointed—and the USM Board of Regents has approved—the search and screening committee for the new president of Towson University. President Kim Schatzel announced in November 2022 that she was accepting an appointment as president of the University of Louisville, assuming the role on Feb. 1.
In beginning the search for Schatzel’s replacement, the Board of Regents has committed itself to finding a successor who will continue her success as a transformational leader who brought a clear vision of excellence to one of Maryland’s largest and fastest growing universities.
USM Regent Ellen Fish will chair the Towson University (TU) Presidential Search and Screening Committee, which has been chosen to reflect the TU community with representation among students, faculty, staff, alumni, and other institutional stakeholders. Regent Fish previously served on the TU Foundation Board of Directors.
The committee’s work will result in the submission of a short list of the most qualified presidential candidates for the Board of Regents to consider. More information regarding the TU presidential search process can be found here. Dr. Melanie Perreault, the university’s provost and executive vice president for academic and student affairs, is serving (effective Feb. 1) as TU interim president.
“I’m grateful to Regent Fish and to every member of the search committee,” said USM Chancellor Jay A. Perman. “One of the reasons we attract such outstanding leaders to our universities is that the people tasked with finding those leaders are so deeply invested in doing right by their institution, its students, and its community. Without question, this committee is made up of people who love TU and who know what it takes to elevate it—to grow the university’s reach, its prominence, its impact.”
The members of the committee are:
Ellen Fish, Search Committee Chair—Regent, University System of Maryland
Hugh Breslin, Board of Regents, USM (Regent)
Emily Brophy, President, Towson Chamber of Commerce (Community)
Bradley Chambers, Senior Vice President & COO, Medstar (Community)
Jordan Colquitt, President, TU Student Government Association (Students—Undergraduate)
Gary Gill, CEO, Mackenzie Ventures (Community)
Nancy Grasmick, Presidential Scholar, College of Education (Faculty)
Stephen Hancock, Assistant Professor, Fisher College of Science & Math (Faculty)
Eric Jones Jr., Associate Vice President, Financial Affairs (Staff)
Sidd Kaza, Associate Provost & Dean, Research & Graduate School (Administration)
Janet Houck Kines, Alumna, Towson Athletics Hall of Fame (Alumni)
Mariana Lebron, Associate Professor, College of Business & Economics (Faculty)
Matt Lenno, Assistant Vice President, Student Life, Student Affairs (Staff)
Lisa Plowfield, Dean, College of Health Professions (Dean)
Edna Primrose, President, TU Foundation Board (Foundation Board)
Sherman Ragland, CEO, Tradewinds International Holdings (Alumni)
Jeff Rosen, Managing Partner, Rosen, Sapperstein, and Friedlander, LLC (Community)
Desiree Rowe, Chair, TU Academic Senate/College of Fine Arts and Communication (Faculty)
Francis Soistman, CEO, eHealth (Community)
Heather Sorenson, Chair, TU Staff Senate (Staff)
Marcus Tuah, President, TU Graduate Student Association (Students—Graduate)
Evangeline Wheeler, Professor, College of Liberal Arts (Faculty)
Nathan Wilder, Senior Associate Director for Sports Medicine and Performance, TU Athletics (Staff)
Suzanna Yaukey, Dean, Library (Dean)
The committee will work with the national leadership recruiting firm Isaacson, Miller and is being staffed by USM Senior Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development Michele Masucci.
The committee's work will conclude with its recommendation of finalists for consideration by the chancellor and the Board of Regents. The board will make the final selection. Historically, the search process for a president at most USM institutions has taken four to six months.
Members of the campus and greater communities are invited to submit nominations for outstanding individuals they would like to be considered as Towson University’s next leader to TU-President-Search@usmd.edu.
Contact: Mike Lurie
Phone: 301.445.2719
Email: mlurie@usmd.edu