Presidential search is winding down

The search is on for Union College’s 19th president, and the rate of progress suggests the new leader will be named as scheduled in late April.

The field is currently narrowed from an initial group of more than 130 prospects to a short list of very impressive candidates who would bring an effective brand of leadership to Union.

“I’m pleased and excited to report that Union College is in an extremely good situation,” said board chairman Paul Isaacs. “This pool of candidates represents a level of strength that makes the board of trustees’ decision on the next president very difficult because all the current candidates are extremely qualified, which will make the final decision particularly challenging. That’s a nice problem to face.”

Prior to beginning the search, a search committee—comprised of Union College faculty, staff, trustees and students—established a list of qualities and qualifications that they expect to see in the next president. This list was used as criteria in selecting the remaining candidates. A substantial number of reference calls were made to help aid the search.

The next step in the process is for the remaining candidates to participate in confidential interviews with the search committee. After these interviews, the list will be narrowed once again to the finalists who will be invited for another round of interviews on campus. The candidates, the college community and local citizens will have an opportunity to learn more about each other in this final round of meetings, which are planned for late March and early April.

Founded in 1879, Union College in Barbourville is a liberal arts institution related to the United Methodist Church.