Article published July 26, 2008
RIBEAU SUCCESSOR
Trustees select search firm for BGSU leader
BOWLING GREEN - The Bowling Green State University board of trustees yesterday decided to pursue a contract with the executive search firm Witt/Kieffer to help find a successor for President Sidney Ribeau.
Trustees listened for 3 1/2 hours to presentations from Heidrick & Struggles International Inc., of Chicago; Isaacson, Miller, of Boston, and Witt/Kieffer, which has offices around the country.
Presenters said that typical presidential searches take at least five months, and some as long as eight months.
John Thornburgh, of Witt/Kieffer's Pittsburgh office, said the firm, which has an office in the Toledo area, deals primarily with higher education and health-care organizations.
The presidential search committee recommended Witt/Kieffer, and the trustees agreed. The next step will be to work out contract details, university officials said.
About 10 firms were asked to submit proposals and cost estimates, said Kim McBroom, BGSU associate vice president of marketing and communications.Most estimated their fee at approximately a third of the new president's first year's pay, she said.
Mr. Ribeau's annual salary was set at $313,763. He becomes president of Howard University in Washington.
Trustees last month set an annual salary of $300,000 for Carol Cartwright, who began Monday as interim president. She retired in 2006 as president of Kent State University.
When Ms. Cartwright was selected, trustee Chairman Mike Marsh said he anticipated that she would be interim president for at least a year.
Trustee William Primrose, who is chairman of the search committee, said yesterday that the goal is to make an offer to the leading candidate in late February or early March, 2009.
The meeting was the first for David J. Levey, 59, of Akron, an executive vice president with Cleveland-based developer Forest City Enterprises Inc., and Antwan Jones, of Maumee, a doctoral student in sociology at BGSU, who were appointed by Gov. Ted Strickland.
Mr. Levey, who received a bachelor's degree in business in 1971 from BGSU, was appointed to a nine-year term and Mr. Jones to a two-year term as the graduate student trustee.
Mr. Levey said he was approached by Higher Education Chancellor Eric Fingerhut after someone recommended him.
He said he looks forward to bringing a "common-sense, business approach" to his role.
Mr. Jones received a bachelor's degree from Duke University and a master's degree in sociology from BGSU.
He is pursuing a master's in applied statistics from the school.
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