Board of Regents announces Presidential Search Committee members
The search for St. Olaf College’s next president hit an important milestone this month, as the Board of Regents announced the members of the Presidential Search Committee.
The group is composed of eight current or former regents, two faculty members, two staff members, and one current student. Several of the committee members are also alumni and/or parents of current or past St. Olaf students.
Committee members will work with St. Olaf’s selected search firm, Storbeck Search, to identify the person who will succeed President David R. Anderson ’74, who announced in May 2021 that he would step down at the end of the 2022-23 academic year.
The announcement was made by St. Olaf Board of Regents Chair Jay Lund ’81, whose full message to the community is below.
Dear St. Olaf Community,
The Board of Regents concluded its fall meeting earlier today, where one of the items we discussed was the selection of the college’s Presidential Search Committee. This committee will work alongside our selected search firm, Storbeck Search, to find a successor for President Anderson upon his retirement at the end of the 2022-23 academic year.
I am pleased to share that the following individuals will serve on the Presidential Search Committee:
Regents and Former Regents
Stephanie Fehr ’87, P’21 Chair
Rev. William Gafkjen ’79, Bishop
Susan Gunderson ’79, P’15
Jennifer Hellman ’98, P’25
Christopher Klein P ’19
Timothy Maudlin ’73, P’99, P’02
Brenda McCormick ’89
Glenn Taylor ’73
Faculty
Louis Epstein, Associate Professor of Music and Faculty Representative-elect to Board
Anthony Bateza, Associate Professor of Religion
Staff
María Pabón, Vice President for Equity and Inclusion
Valeng Cha, Director of Government, Foundation and Corporate Relations
Student
Andy Nelson, Student Government Association (SGA) President
These committee members were deliberately selected to represent diversity among gender, age, race, experience, viewpoints, and association with the college. They are also forward-thinking, with an eye toward St. Olaf’s future. Committee Chair Stephanie Fehr is an accomplished human resources professional, who will bring that valuable lens and expertise to the process. Please join me in thanking the committee members for dedicating their time and talent to this important task.
The Presidential Search Committee is eager to engage with the broader St. Olaf community on your thoughts for our next leader. Beginning in January, we will embark upon a community engagement process that will give every member of our community the opportunity to share their thoughts and aspirations for our next president. At that time, we will also launch a dedicated webpage with information and updates related to the president search. You can expect regular updates on the president search and engagement opportunities beginning early next year.
Regards,
Jay Lund, Chair
St. Olaf College Board of Regents