Presidential Search Committee Update

August 15, 2022

Dear Cardinal Community,

I am very pleased to inform you that the Board has selected Dr. Kathy Birkett, Trustee and most recently the Chair of the Board’s Academic Affairs Committee, to serve as chair of the College’s Presidential Search Committee. The Board has also chosen Storbeck Search as the firm to assist the College in this important process.

We believe that the experiences, skills, and perspectives Dr. Birkett gained during her years leading one of Illinois' largest and highest-performing school districts, and her active involvement on the Board in recent years, will be important in leading this effort.

The Board of Trustees is committed to leading a rigorous and deliberative presidential search process that includes student, faculty, and staff representation. The Board has been collaborating with various campus leaders to solicit nominations for the Committee.

After the campus community's nominations are received, the Board will finalize the Committee’s membership. The Committee membership and anticipated search process timeline will be announced by the end of August. Going forward, you will receive updates directly from the Search Committee.

The Board wants robust input from the entire campus community. Early in the fall semester, students, faculty, and staff will be invited to participate in a series of forums led by the Search Committee and Storbeck Search to solicit your thoughts on the desired attributes of our next president.

Thank you in advance for sharing your perspective and for engaging in our process to select the next President of North Central College.

Regards,

Jim McDermet M’92
Board Chair