UNC Asheville in search for its seventh chancellor

Press Release

UNC Asheville

UNC Asheville’s Board of Trustees began the process today of searching for the university’s seventh chancellor by appointing a search committee composed of representatives of the university’s board of trustees, faculty, students, staff, alumni, and members of the community. The search follows the announcement last month by Anne Ponder, UNC Asheville’s sixth chancellor, that she plans to retire effective July 31, 2014. Chancellor Ponder has served since October 1, 2005.

UNC Asheville’s Board of Trustees, led by Chair N. King Prather, held a special meeting today and approved the slate of people nominated to the search committee. “This is a diverse, very well-qualified committee,” said Prather. “There is so much interest in the ongoing success of UNC Asheville, not just on campus, but in Asheville and beyond. We are honored that the Mayor of Asheville, Esther Manheimer, and Rick Lutovsky, who headed the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, will serve on the committee. We’ll also have town hall meetings to get everyone’s thoughts on the qualities we should be looking for. We’ll have an inclusive, and I believe successful, search.”

The members of the search committee are:

• N. King Prather (Search Committee Co-Chair), Chair, UNC Asheville Board of Trustees
• Douglas Orr (Search Committee Co-Chair) Vice Chair, UNC Asheville Board of Trustees
• Michael Andry, Chair, UNC Asheville Foundation Board of Directors
• Tiffany Armstrong, Chair, National Alumni Council
• Robert Bowen, Associate Professor of Drama
• Kennon Briggs, UNC Asheville Board of Trustees
• Suzanne Bryson, Associate Vice Chancellor for Finance
• Brian Butler, Thomas Howerton Distinguished Professor of Humanities and Professor of Philosophy
• Erin Hill, President, Black Student Association
• Melissa Himelein, Professor of Psychology and Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning
• Herman Holt, Chair of Chemistry, Associate Professor
• Rick Lutovsky, Retired President, Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce
• Esther Manheimer, Mayor of Asheville
• Mary Lynn Manns, Professor of Management
• John Noor, National Alumni Council
• Pat Smith, UNC Asheville Board of Trustees
• Virgil Smith, UNC Asheville Board of Trustees
• Cissie Stevens, UNC Asheville Board of Trustees
• Robert Straub, Chair, Chancellor’s Staff Advisory Committee
• Leigh Whittaker, President, Student Government Association

The search committee’s role is to recommend final candidates for chancellor to the UNC Asheville Board of Trustees, who will in turn recommend at least two candidates to UNC system President Tom Ross, who will forward his nomination to the UNC system Board of Governors. The committee will hold its first meeting on Feb. 14, when President Ross will officially charge the committee with their task, and also hear presentations from executive search consulting firms so it can choose one to assist throughout the search process.

For more information on the process of selecting UNC Asheville’s seventh chancellor, with updates about opportunities for public involvement in that process, visit http://unca.edu/chancellorsearch.