I hope the academic year is off to a good start for each of you and your students.
I am writing to follow-up on the communication sent by NASPA in late July regarding Kevin Kruger’s upcoming retirement from his role as NASPA President. We have spent the summer preparing for the search process for a new NASPA President and are excited to share the following details with you.
NASPA President Search Committee
The Executive Committee of the NASPA Board of Directors has appointed a search committee to partner with a contracted executive search firm. The NASPA President Search Committee will play a critical role in the search process, ultimately recommending finalists to the NASPA Board of Directors.
The NASPA President Search Committee will be co-chaired by Bette Simmons, past NASPA Foundation Board Chair (2018-2020) and Interim Vice President of Student Affairs at Mercer County Community College, and Pat Whitely, past NASPA Board Chair (2014-2015) and Senior Vice President for Student Affairs and Alumni Engagement at the University of Miami.
The full search committee is listed below. Thanks to each of you for giving of your time over the next 7-8 months.
Aarika Camp, Vice President for Student Affairs, Goucher College (NASPA Board Representative)
Annie Henning, Academic Advisor, Southeast Missouri State University (Graduate Student/New Professional Representative)
Anthony Cruz, President, Miami Dade College (College/University President Representative)
Bette Simmons, Interim Vice President of Student Affairs, Mercer County Community College (Co-Chair)
Claudia García-Louis, Associate Professor, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, The University of Texas at San Antonio (Faculty Representative)
Denzil Suite, Vice President for Student Life, University of Washington (Past President/Board Chair Representative)
Elisa Aquino, Program Director, San Jose State University (Mid-Level Representative)
Henry Gee, Interim Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students, Whittier College (NASPA Foundation Board Representative)
Jenn Kosses, Dean of Students, Wentworth Institute of Technology (Member at Large)
Ke'Ana Bradley, Director, Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and Early Career Initiatives, NASPA (NASPA Staff Representative)
Lamar Hylton, Vice Provost for Student Life, Indiana University Bloomington (NASPA Board Representative)
Pam Watts, Executive Director, NIRSA (CHEMA/SAHEC Association Representative)
Pat Whitely, Senior Vice President for Student Affairs and Alumni Engagement, University of Miami (Co-Chair)
Richard Monroe, Student Engagement Manager, Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City (NASPA Board Representative)
Zduy Chu, Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs, Florida State University (NUFP Representative)
Amy Shopkorn, Vice President for Operations, NASPA (Staff Liaison)
Executive Search Firm
Through a competitive RFP process, the Executive Committee selected Korn Ferry to partner with the NASPA Board of Directors and NASPA President Search Committee throughout the process. Korn Ferry brings extensive experience in the nonprofit and higher education spaces, with a unique ability to approach the work at the intersection of these environments. Korn Ferry’s work has already started and we'll continue to report back to the NASPA membership with updates.
Next Steps
You will receive a follow-up email later this fall containing a call to action for participation in the early phases of the search process. This will include a survey where we ask you to provide feedback on the NASPA President role and what is most needed from a new president going forward. This email also will have a more detailed timeline.
If you have any questions about the NASPA President search, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly or to Amy Shopkorn, NASPA’s vice president for operations, who is serving as the staff liaison for the search.
Thank you for your participation in this important process.
Chicora Martin NASPA Board Chair
Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, Agnes Scott College
