Schools
Kent State Presidential Search Committee Includes City Manager, Bank Executive
Outgoing president set to retire in July 2014
The 15-person committee charged with finding the successor to Kent State University’s President Lester Lefton includes two Kent community leaders.
Kent City Manager Dave Ruller and Richard Coe, CEO of Portage Community Bank, will serve on the committee to find Kent State’s 12th president. Ruller also served on the search committee that recommended Lefton’s hiring to the university trustees.
Lefton is set to retire July 1, 2014.
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The university named the search committee members this week. In May, the university trustees named Richard Marsh, a 1973 Kent State graduate and member of the board of trustees, as the committee chair.
Excluding Dr. Jerry Sue Thornton, president emeritus of Cuyahoga Community College, the remaining 12 members of the search committee are all part of the Kent State community. They are:
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Michael Allen, executive chair, Graduate Student Senate; Ph.D. candidate, geography
Dennis Eckart, vice chair, Presidential Search Committee; vice chair, Board of Trustees; principal, North Shore Associates
Dr. Paul Farrell, chair, Faculty Senate; professor of computer science
Dr. Ronald Fowler, special assistant to the president, community engagement; chair, Diversity Advisory Board
Dr. Lee Fox-Cardamone, associate professor, psychology, Stark Campus; executive committee, Faculty Senate
Dr. Thomas Janson, professor and coordinator of graduate studies, music; past chair and member, Faculty Senate
Joel Nielsen, director of intercollegiate athletics
Amish Patel, executive director, Undergraduate Student Government; communications studies major
Dr. Susan Roxburgh, associate professor, sociology; member, Faculty Senate
Maria Schneider, president, Alumni Association National Board of Directors; alumni board representative, Foundation Board of Directors; managing consultant-premier segment, institutional relationships, TIAA-CREF
Dr. Deborah Spake, dean, College of Business Administration
Dr. Susan Stocker, dean, Kent State University at Ashtabula; interim dean, College of Nursing
In establishing the committee, we as a board sought to achieve a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives and a deep understanding of the requirements for the next president,” Marsh said.
The university also is asking for public input on the search, and members of the community can provide feedback via a page on the university’s website.
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