Presidential Search Update, July 2024

Dear Middlebury Community,

Since Board Chair Ted Truscott ’83 wrote to you in June we’ve made good progress in our search. I’m pleased to provide this update on behalf of the Board of Trustees. 

Search Firm Selection 

Following interviews with a number of respected firms with expertise in complex organizations and in the liberal arts and sciences, the executive search firm Isaacson, Miller was selected to assist the committee and the board by managing the search process and actively recruiting a deep, diverse candidate pool. Isaacson, Miller has placed presidents, provosts, and deans into the country’s leading colleges and universities and is one of the largest higher education executive search practices in the United States. They present themselves as recruiting “transformational leaders” with a “proven record of excellence, integrity, and impact.”

Middlebury’s search will be led by the firm’s president, Ericka Miller, and Kate Barry, a partner with extensive presidential search experience. They will be joined by Diana Carmona, a senior associate in the firm’s higher education practice and a Middlebury alumna. 

Presidential Search Committee

We are pleased to announce that the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees has appointed the following community members to serve on the Presidential Search Committee, which is charged with conducting the national search for Middlebury’s next president:

• Kirtley H. Cameron ’95, Chair, Presidential Search Committee and Vice Chair, Board of Trustees 
• Dima Ayoub, Associate Professor of Arabic
• Martin Beatty ’84, Senior Associate in Physical Education and Head Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Coach
• Julia Berazneva, Associate Professor of Economics
• Joseph W. Brown ’90, P’18,’23,’27, Trustee
• Leilani M. Brown ’93, Vice Chair, Board of Trustees
• Graham C. Goldsmith ’89, P’19,’24, Trustee
• LeRoy Graham, Associate Provost
• Parker Harris III ’89, P’20, Trustee
• George C. Lee II ’88, P’20, Trustee
• Anne D. Peterson ’85, P’14,’19, Trustee
• Mohan Renganathan ’96, Vice President, Middlebury Alumni Association Board of Directors
• Thor Sawin, Associate Dean of Language Schools, Curriculum and Professor, TFL/TESOL Programs, Middlebury Institute of International Studies
• Frank W. Sesno ’77, P’06,’09, Trustee Emeritus
• Shane Silverman ’24.5, Student
• William F. “Ted” Truscott ’83, Chair, Board of Trustees (Ex Officio Search Committee Member)
• AJ Vasiliou, Associate Professor of Chemistry/Biochemistry
• Muchadei Zvoma ’07, Senior Director of Global Enrollment and Marketing, Middlebury Institute of International Studies

Search Committee Staff

• Susan P. Ritter ‘83, P’15,’16,’19, Chief of Staff, Deputy General Counsel and Risk Officer, and Associate Secretary of the Corporation (Administrative Liaison)
• Amber Lovely-Lee, Enterprise Risk Management Specialist (Administrative Support)

As Ted Truscott noted in his June 6 letter, the committee is a widely representative working group from across Middlebury—drawn from trustees, faculty, staff, students, and alumni. Each will bring their own experiences and perspectives to the process and, at the same time, are responsible for considering the long-term interests of the entire institution. We are grateful to all who have been instrumental in this process to date, which has included the Faculty Council, Staff Council, Student Government Association, and Middlebury Alumni Association.

Last week, on July 10, the board approved the charge to the search committee, which is available here. 

Search Process

Isaacson, Miller met with the board on July 10 to review the search process and timeline. The Isaacson, Miller team will consult widely with our faculty, students, staff, trustees, and other stakeholders to hear your views on Middlebury’s future and the type of leader who can best carry us forward, building on the advances of the last decade under President Patton’s leadership. This process will be one of broad consultation, with listening sessions continuing through the summer and into the academic year. From your input we’ll develop a presidential search profile that articulates the qualities we’re seeking in our next president and the opportunities ahead for Middlebury. 

We look forward to sharing more details about the listening sessions soon, and we always welcome your input—please write to us at PresidentialSearch@middlebury.edu.

Thank you for your interest and support in this important process.

Kind regards,

Kirtley H. Cameron ’95
Chair, Presidential Search Committee and Vice Chair, Board of Trustees