Committee chooses consulting firm

The Chancellor Search Committee at East Carolina University has decided to hire the A.T. Kearney Executive Search firm from Alexandria, Va., to assist in recruiting a new chancellor. Dr. Jan Greenwood, an ECU graduate and vice president of Kearney’s education practice, will be the principal adviser working with the committee. She will meet with the committee at its next scheduled session on July 13 to begin to develop strategies and a timetable.

Phillip R. Dixon, chair of the ECU Board of Trustees and chair of the committee, reported that Kelly King, chair of the ECU Board of Visitors has resigned from the committee. He will be replaced on the panel by Everette “Buddy” Daniel of Lynchburg, Va. Daniel is the incoming chairman of the ECU Foundation and vice president of Scott Insurance Co.

The committee, which met June 21, also conducted two public forums to receive comments and suggestions about the kind of person who should be the university’s next chief executive. A half-dozen individuals addressed committee members at an afternoon forum in Mendenhall Student Center on campus.

Dr. Charles Russell, president of Pitt Community College, praised the relations between his campus and ECU and said the next chancellor should be cognizant of the role of community colleges in higher education and should be committed to working with the community colleges. Na’im Akbar, a graduate student, said the university is becoming known for its cultural sensitivity.

The new leader, Akbar said, should be dedicated to including everyone in the ECU family, regardless of their race or ethnic group. Douglas Byrd, an ECU graduate and director of industrial recruitment for the State of North Carolina, said the chancellor needs great skill in working with political leaders in the state capital.

“What we need right now is a political and business leader,” he said. Dr. Lou Everett, professor of nursing, said the committee should look for someone who understands both the east and west campuses. “It is important to understand both the arts and sciences and the health sciences,” she said.

Dr. Andrew Sargent, assistant professor of chemistry, said the new chancellor should be dedicated to providing more time for faculty members to conduct research. Teaching loads are too high to allow for productive research by many faculty members, Sargent said.

The committee will hold additional forums on July 12 and Aug 16. Dr. Richard Eakin, chancellor at ECU since 1987, announced in April that he plans to retire next year. Once the search committee completes its work, it will forward through the ECU Board of Trustees the names of three candidates to Molly Corbett Broad, president of the University of North Carolina. The new chancellor, upon nomination by President Broad, must be elected by the UNC Board of Governors.