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Sent on behalf of Tonya Thomas Finton ’78

Dear 91��Ƶר�� Community,

Happy New Year! We are pleased to report the Presidential Search is progressing, and we are on schedule to appoint a president in early spring. Following the appointment, we will schedule a campus visit for everyone to meet the successful candidate. 

Thank you for your continued support as we navigate the process.

Sent on behalf of Tonya Thomas Finton ’78, chair of the Board of Trustees, and Susan M. Ganley ’79, vice chair of the Board of Trustees

Dear 91��Ƶר�� Community, 

As the fall semester begins to wind down, we wanted to provide you with an update on the search for 91��Ƶר��’s next president. In October, the search committee met via Zoom with the consultants to begin reviewing candidates. Sue and I, along with the search consultants, have been very pleased with the interest in this position. The window for submitting applications remains open and we will continue to review candidates through the end of the year.

The search committee will hold its next Zoom meeting in December. We continue to work towards the goal of announcing the next president of 91��Ƶר�� College by early spring, at the latest.

Thank you for your continued interest in this search, we will provide another update when there is something to share.

Sent on behalf of Tonya Thomas Finton ’78, chair of the Board of Trustees, and Susan M. Ganley ’79, vice chair of the Board of Trustees

Dear 91��Ƶר�� Community,

We hope this message finds you having a successful fall semester. As mentioned in a previous communication, our search consultants at Isaacson, Miller spent two days on campus holding listening sessions with faculty, staff, students, alums, trustees and Frederick civic leaders.

On behalf of the search committee, we want to thank you for contributing your time and perspectives to this important process, either through listening sessions or via the campus community feedback survey. Your input helped shape a comprehensive position profile, which you can read on the presidential search website. The profile will be used in an intensive recruitment effort to build a deep and diverse pool for the search committee’s consideration. 

Thank you again for your engagement. We will continue to send updates as they are available.

On behalf of Tonya Thomas Finton ’78, chair of the Board of Trustees, and Susan M. Ganley ’79, vice chair of the Board of Trustees

Listening Sessions

• Students: Wednesday, August 28, 8:30-9:30 p.m.
  Whitaker Campus Center Commons
• Local & Emeriti Trustees: Thursday, August 29, 7:30-8:45 a.m.
  Dreiling Seminar Room, Coblentz Hall lower level
• Staff: Thursday, August 29, 9-10 a.m.
  Whitaker Campus Commons (new location)
• Community Partners: Thursday, August 29, 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
  Alumnae Hall 122 (new location)
• Faculty: Thursday, August 29, 1-2 p.m.
  Dreiling Seminar Room, Coblentz Hall lower level
• Alumni Representatives: Thursday, August 29, 2:15-3:15 p.m.
  Dreiling Seminar Room, Coblentz Hall lower level

On behalf of Tonya Finton ’78, Chair, 91��Ƶר�� College Board of Trustees and Susan Ganley ’79, Vice Chair 91��Ƶר�� College Board of Trustees

Dear 91��Ƶר�� Community members,

We are writing to share that we are preparing to launch the search for 91��Ƶר��’s next President. Tonya Finton ’78, Chair, 91��Ƶר�� College Board of Trustees and Susan Ganley ’79, Vice Chair, 91��Ƶר�� College Board of Trustees will be co-chairing the 17-person search committee, which represents stakeholders from across the institution. The full list of committee members can be found at the end of this note. We would like to thank the committee for agreeing to serve the College in this important task.

We have retained the executive search firm Isaacson, Miller () to assist in the recruitment of candidates. Over the coming weeks our search consultants, Kate Barry (Partner), Keight Tucker Kennedy (Partner) and Stephanie Simon (Senior Associate) will be speaking with a wide range of constituencies at 91��Ƶר��, including faculty, staff, and students. Senior leadership listening sessions will also take place and will provide valuable insight into the institution’s culture and environment.

Listening sessions will be held (dates and times below) so the committee and consultants can benefit from your perspective on the 91��Ƶר�� President position, how you would expect to interface with the President, and what you consider to be the key challenges and opportunities the new President will face.

 Open forum for students:

Wednesday, August 28th, 8:30 pm, Whitaker Campus Commons

 Open forum for staff:

Thursday, August 29th, 9:00 am, Dreiling Seminar Room, Lower Level of Coblentz Dining Hall

 Open forum for faculty:

Thursday, August 29th, 1:00 pm, Dreiling Seminar Room, Lower Level of Coblentz Dining Hall

We have also scheduled sessions with trustees, emeriti trustees, alumni and community partners over the two-day period.

These discussions will help our search consultants learn about the position and gain an understanding of 91��Ƶר��’s culture, current environment, and the context in which the President will operate. Information gleaned from these sessions will inform the position profile, a document that will describe the essential characteristics of the College, explain the challenges and opportunities for the next President, and outline the desired attributes of successful candidates.

We hope you will be able to participate in the conversation and provide your thoughts and perspectives on the search. If you are not able to join these discussions, a Zoom “catch all” session for students, faculty and staff will be scheduled in early September, or if you prefer to share written feedback, we welcome your input in a survey linked here:

Presidential Search Committee List

Trustee Representatives

1. Tonya Finton '78, Search Committee Co-Chair
2. Sue Ganley '79, Search Committee Co-Chair
3. John (Hamp) Tisdale, J.D.
4. Tom Kleinhanzl
5. Phil Bowers '83
6. Jewel Smith '96 
7. Jane Blocker '72
8. Susan Gearey '79 

Alumni Representative

9. , Alumna and former trustee

Senior Staff Representative

10. Nancy Gillece '81, Vice President for Institutional Advancement

Faculty Representatives

11. Ann Stewart, Ph.D., Professor of Mathematics; Faculty Rep on the Student Success Committee
12. Carol Jim '06, MS'10, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Computer Science

Student Representatives

13. – current undergraduate student, student athlete
14. Katherine (Katie) Stang ’25 – current undergraduate student, Student Government President, Senior Class Secretary, Mortar Board Secretary, Alpha Epsilon Delta Treasurer
15. Samuel (Sam) Pierre '16 – current MBA (graduate) student, President of the Graduate Student Association

Staff Representatives

16. , MBA'18, Head Golf Coach; Associate Athletic Trainer; Chair of the 91��Ƶר�� College Staff Council

Committee Resource Person

17. Diane Wise, Exec Asst to President; Secretary of the Board of Trustees & College

On behalf of Tonya Thomas Finton ’78, chair of the Board of Trustees

Dear 91��Ƶר�� College Community,

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I’m happy to announce the appointment of Debbie Ricker, Ph.D. as interim president, effective July 1, 2024.

Dr. Ricker’s commitment to academic quality and to the students’ whole experience – in the classroom and out – perfectly aligns with the mission and vision of 91��Ƶר�� College. She has a passion for the scholarship of teaching and student engagement, a deep background in hands-on, applied, experiential education and expertise in student success.

Dr. Ricker began as 91��Ƶר�� College’s provost and vice president of academic affairs on July 1, 2016, following a long career at York College of Pennsylvania. As provost and vice president for academic affairs at 91��Ƶר�� College, Dr. Ricker supports the academic mission of the institution. She works closely with leadership of the College’s 17 academic departments (including undergraduate and graduate programs) and their faculty, as well as administrative directors of student success, the learning commons/library, Graduate School, institutional research, registrar, career center and faculty services. With the dean of students, as provost she also oversees student life, including residence life and student engagement and orientation.

Dr. Ricker will serve the post vacated by Andrea E. Chapdelaine, who will become the next president of Connecticut College on July 1, 2024. The Board of Trustees is in the process of choosing a presidential search consultant; details will be forthcoming.

I have every confidence that the College will be in good hands while we search for 91��Ƶר��’s next president.

On behalf of Tonya Thomas Finton ’78, Chair, Board of Trustees

Dear 91��Ƶר�� Community,

Earlier you received a message from President Chapdelaine communicating her decision to step down as 91��Ƶר��’s president at the end of the current academic year.

During her nine-year tenure as 91��Ƶר��’s president, 91��Ƶר�� has advanced on many fronts. Accomplishments include:

• Completion of the Moving Together Beyond Boundaries strategic plan, which launched new academic programs, significant expansion of strategic partnerships, and investment in employee compensation.
• Growth in undergraduate and graduate enrollment and improvement in student retention.
• Investment of nearly $100M investment in our beautiful campus, including the renovation of the Beneficial-Hodson Library and Learning Commons and Coblentz-Memorial Hall, and the building of Blazer Hall, among others.
• Completion of Forging the Future campaign, raising nearly $75M in support for scholarships, experiential learning, the 91��Ƶר�� Fund and more.
• Expansion and strengthening of 91��Ƶר��’s brand through improvement in national rankings, several awards, and transformational growth in the endowment.

In the coming weeks, we will have more information to share about next steps in this important leadership transition. In the meantime, please join me and the entire Board of Trustees in thanking President Chapdelaine and her family for their years of love and commitment to 91��Ƶר��.