The Central Michigan University Board of Trustees has laid groundwork plans for its search to find the next university president.

Chairwoman Gail Torreano announced during the board’s meeting Thursday its choice to retain the services of Pennsylvania-based Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates, LLC as the search firm to assist in recruiting and selecting a new president.

“This firm has done a number of searches for this university. They were the firm that brought President Rao here. That, I think speaks volumes,” said Trustee Stephanie Comai.

An open community forum is scheduled for 4 p.m. Wednesday in the Bovee University Center’s Lake Michigan Room to solicit feedback from the campus community.

The search committee also launched a Web site Thursday at cmich.edu/presidentialsearch.

“We really, really want to hear from people,” said Trustee Stephanie Comai.

Chairwoman Gail Torreano released the names of 13 individuals to serve on the screening committee to act as a liaison for the Board in the search process.

Comai will chair the committee, Torreano said, and Trustees Brian Fannon, Marilyn French Hubbard and John Hurd also will have positions.

“The rationale I have for selecting each of you is, if you’ll notice, each one of you is from a different cohort,” Torreano said. “We get, I think, differing experiences.”

She explained how trustees are appointed two at a time. Fannon, Hubbard and Hurd represent each selection cycle, she said.

Torreano appointed Trustee Sarah Opperman as an alternate to the committee.

According to Board policy, representatives from the Academic Senate, Student Government Association and Alumni Association will serve on the committee.

Torreano chose Stan Shingles, director of the Student Activities Center for the administrative role, and Geraldine B. Wright as a member of the general public.

Wright served on the screening committee that hired Rao.

“I thought it would benefit the screening committee to have someone with that experience to bring to the table,” she said.

Torreano chose to make three additional appointments – people who she said have roots in the community and the university’s external affairs.

Kathy Wilbur, CMU’s interim president-elect and current vice president of Governmental Affairs and Public Affairs, Tim Brockman, owner of Max and Emily’s Restaurant, and Rick Barz, president of Isabella Bank and Trust, will also serve on the committee.

Comai said the screening committee will work to develop a leadership statement, utilizing the opinions drawn from open forums and meetings with university administrators.

Once established, she said, the statement will go to the search firm and onto various professional publications. Potential candidates may apply up until Oct. 1, Comai said, at which point the firm will begin reviewing applications.

“The search firm will cull through all the applications and present 16 to 20 likely candidates to the screening committee,” she said.

Then, the screening committee will meet with a select few and eventually bring four to six potential candidates before the Board, Comai said.

“I am not at all concerned that we will have an outstanding pool of candidates,” Comai said.

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E-mail the author: Heidi Fenton