Search committee formed, timeline to name a new president established
TAMPA, Fla. (Sept. 14, 2018) – Following President Judy Genshaft’s announcement on Monday that she will step down in July after completing a historically successful 19-year tenure, the University of South Florida Board of Trustees (BOT) is moving forward in the search to find her replacement.
On Friday, BOT Chair Brian Lamb announced a 15-member search committee and provided a timeline of events for the next several months. Lamb says USF will closely follow the process established by the Florida Board of Governors in its search for a new president, who will be the seventh in university history.
“The University of South Florida has tremendous momentum, having recently set several institutional records, and it’s critical for us to find a new president with the leadership abilities to continue our trajectory,” Lamb said. “Our search committee members strongly represent the communities we serve, they come from diverse backgrounds and each will bring a unique perspective to this process.”
Lamb has named Les Muma as chair of the presidential search committee. Muma is a resident of Pinellas County, 1966 graduate of USF and current member of the USF Board of Trustees. Muma, the retired CEO of Fiserv, Inc., previously served on the board of the USF Foundation, where he chaired the first phase ($600 million) of a $1 billion campaign.
Other members of the committee include:
- Kathy Weedman Arthur
- Braulio Colón
- Anddrikk Frazier
- Robert D. Frisina
- Stephanie Goforth
- Darlene Jordan
- Shaquille Kent
- Rhea Law
- George Morgan
- Frederick “Rick” Piccolo
- John Ramil
- Debbie Sembler
- Byron Shinn
- Charles Stanish
A full bio of each committee member is available here.
“Replacing President Genshaft is an enormous responsibility. This is a pivotal time in the University of South Florida’s history, and our decision will have a significant impact on the future of the Tampa Bay region,” Muma said. “We are committed to following a search process that is transparent and inclusive.”
A national search firm will be selected in the next few weeks, followed by the search committee spending several weeks developing the profile for the position. The committee intends to recommend a set of candidates to the BOT in early 2019, with an interview process on campus shortly afterwards. Once the interviews conclude, the search committee will present final candidates to the BOT, and trustees are expected to decide on a new president during the spring of 2019.
USF has created a new website dedicated to the presidential search that will keep students, faculty, staff and other community members informed throughout the process.
About the University of South Florida System
The University of South Florida System is a high-impact global research system dedicated to student success. The USF System includes three institutions: USF, USF St. Petersburg and USF Sarasota-Manatee. The institutions are separately accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. All institutions have distinct missions and their own detailed strategic plans. Serving over 50,000 students, the USF System has an annual budget of $1.8 billion and an annual economic impact of $4.4 billion.