Updates

About the College

Sent on behalf of Tonya Thomas Finton ’78, chair of the Board of Trustees, and Susan M. Ganley ’79, vice chair of the Board of Trustees

Dear Hood Community, 

As the fall semester begins to wind down, we wanted to provide you with an update on the search for Hood’s next president. In October, the search committee met via Zoom with the consultants to begin reviewing candidates. Sue and I, along with the search consultants, have been very pleased with the interest in this position. The window for submitting applications remains open and we will continue to review candidates through the end of the year.

The search committee will hold its next Zoom meeting in December. We continue to work towards the goal of announcing the next president of Hood College by early spring, at the latest.

Thank you for your continued interest in this search, we will provide another update when there is something to share.

Sent on behalf of Tonya Thomas Finton ’78, chair of the Board of Trustees, and Susan M. Ganley ’79, vice chair of the Board of Trustees

Dear Hood Community,

We hope this message finds you having a successful fall semester. As mentioned in a previous communication, our search consultants at Isaacson, Miller spent two days on campus holding listening sessions with faculty, staff, students, alums, trustees and Frederick civic leaders.

On behalf of the search committee, we want to thank you for contributing your time and perspectives to this important process, either through listening sessions or via the campus community feedback survey. Your input helped shape a comprehensive position profile, which you can read on the presidential search website. The profile will be used in an intensive recruitment effort to build a deep and diverse pool for the search committee’s consideration. 

Thank you again for your engagement. We will continue to send updates as they are available.

On behalf of Tonya Thomas Finton ’78, chair of the Board of Trustees, and Susan M. Ganley ’79, vice chair of the Board of Trustees

Dear Hood Community, 

The work on the search for Hood’s next President is underway. Our search firm – Isaacson, Miller – recently spent two days on campus holding listening sessions with faculty, staff, students, alums, trustees and Frederick civic leaders. Thank you to everyone who made time in their schedules to attend these sessions or who filled out the online survey. The in-person conversations were candid, aspirational and reflective, and the surveys yielded valuable insight into what we hope the next president will bring to Hood.

With the information they have gathered, Isaacson, Miller is now working on a candidate profile that will soon be sent to the search committee for review. Once finalized, the profile will be used as a far-reaching marketing tool to engage with prospective candidates and sources. The search committee will convene again to review application materials and determine first-round candidates. We anticipate this meeting to take place in December.

We understand there have been questions regarding the confidential nature of this search and we’d like to explain why we chose this search path. The strongest candidates often hold senior leadership positions, and their current institutions are heavily vested in their success. When it becomes publicly known that they are a finalist in a presidential search there is the immediate impression that they are leaving; they become lame ducks, and donors and board members may disengage. The committee feels very strongly that our search be broad, diverse and inclusive. Public searches are more complicated for underrepresented candidates, as they are often at a higher risk for online slander when the information is public.

It is a fact that when a search is confidential, it will yield a stronger pool of candidates. To conduct our search for Hood’s next president in a public forum would significantly limit the number and quality of the candidates we can consider.

We greatly appreciate the attention everyone at Hood is giving to this search and we will continue to give you updates as they become available.

Listening Sessions
  • Students: Wednesday, August 28, 8:30-9:30 p.m.
    Whitaker Campus Center Commons
  • Local & Emeriti Trustees: Thursday, August 29, 7:30-8:45 a.m.
    Dreiling Seminar Room, Coblentz Hall lower level
  • Staff: Thursday, August 29, 9-10 a.m.
    Whitaker Campus Commons (new location)
  • Community Partners: Thursday, August 29, 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
    Alumnae Hall 122 (new location)
  • Faculty: Thursday, August 29, 1-2 p.m.
    Dreiling Seminar Room, Coblentz Hall lower level
  • Alumni Representatives: Thursday, August 29, 2:15-3:15 p.m.
    Dreiling Seminar Room, Coblentz Hall lower level

On behalf of Tonya Finton ’78, Chair, Hood College Board of Trustees and Susan Ganley ’79, Vice Chair Hood College Board of Trustees

Dear Hood Community members,

We are writing to share that we are preparing to launch the search for Hood’s next President. Tonya Finton ’78, Chair, Hood College Board of Trustees and Susan Ganley ’79, Vice Chair, Hood College Board of Trustees will be co-chairing the 17-person search committee, which represents stakeholders from across the institution. The full list of committee members can be found at the end of this note. We would like to thank the committee for agreeing to serve the College in this important task.

We have retained the executive search firm Isaacson, Miller (www.imsearch.com) to assist in the recruitment of candidates. Over the coming weeks our search consultants, Kate Barry (Partner), Keight Tucker Kennedy (Partner) and Stephanie Simon (Senior Associate) will be speaking with a wide range of constituencies at Hood, including faculty, staff, and students. Senior leadership listening sessions will also take place and will provide valuable insight into the institution’s culture and environment.

Listening sessions will be held (dates and times below) so the committee and consultants can benefit from your perspective on the Hood President position, how you would expect to interface with the President, and what you consider to be the key challenges and opportunities the new President will face.

 Open forum for students:

Wednesday, August 28th, 8:30 pm, Whitaker Campus Commons

 Open forum for staff:

Thursday, August 29th, 9:00 am, Dreiling Seminar Room, Lower Level of Coblentz Dining Hall

 Open forum for faculty:

Thursday, August 29th, 1:00 pm, Dreiling Seminar Room, Lower Level of Coblentz Dining Hall

We have also scheduled sessions with trustees, emeriti trustees, alumni and community partners over the two-day period.

These discussions will help our search consultants learn about the position and gain an understanding of Hood’s culture, current environment, and the context in which the President will operate. Information gleaned from these sessions will inform the position profile, a document that will describe the essential characteristics of the College, explain the challenges and opportunities for the next President, and outline the desired attributes of successful candidates.

We hope you will be able to participate in the conversation and provide your thoughts and perspectives on the search. If you are not able to join these discussions, a Zoom “catch all” session for students, faculty and staff will be scheduled in early September, or if you prefer to share written feedback, we welcome your input in a survey linked here: https://www.research.net/r/9TJLT5S

Presidential Search Committee List

Trustee Representatives

  1. Tonya Finton '78, Search Committee Co-Chair
  2. Sue Ganley '79, Search Committee Co-Chair
  3. John (Hamp) Tisdale, J.D.
  4. Tom Kleinhanzl
  5. Phil Bowers '83
  6. Jewel Smith '96 
  7. Jane Blocker '72
  8. Susan Gearey '79 

Alumni Representative

  1. Betsy Brennan '85, Alumna and former trustee

Senior Staff Representative

  1. Nancy Gillece '81, Vice President for Institutional Advancement

Faculty Representatives

  1. Ann Stewart, Ph.D., Professor of Mathematics; Faculty Rep on the Student Success Committee
  2. Carol Jim '06, MS'10, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Computer Science

Student Representatives

  1. Jamel Mins '25 – current undergraduate student, student athlete
  2. Katherine (Katie) Stang ’25 – current undergraduate student, Student Government President, Senior Class Secretary, Mortar Board Secretary, Alpha Epsilon Delta Treasurer
  3. Samuel (Sam) Pierre '16 – current MBA (graduate) student, President of the Graduate Student Association

Staff Representatives

  1. Thomas Chatfield ATC, MBA'18, Head Golf Coach; Associate Athletic Trainer; Chair of the Hood College Staff Council

Committee Resource Person

  1. Diane Wise, Exec Asst to President; Secretary of the Board of Trustees & College

On behalf of Tonya Thomas Finton ’78, chair of the Board of Trustees

Dear Hood College Community,

After receiving proposals from six top search firms in higher education, the Board of Trustees is pleased to announce we have selected Isaacson, Miller to assist us in identifying Hood’s next president. The Board believes that Isaacson, Miller understands the College’s needs; they have an excellent track record in presidential searches, including leadership appointments at Howard University, UMBC, Michigan State and NYU.

Isaacson, Miller is a mission-driven retained executive search firm. For more than 40 years, IM has partnered with clients to solve their most demanding leadership challenges and build highly qualified and diverse teams. IM has developed and tested ideas about what makes a strong, visionary and effective leader and how to run an inclusive process to identify the best match for the clients’ needs. The IM team that will partner with Hood will be led by Kate Barry and  Keight Tucker Kennedy. 

The search for a new President is among the most important roles that a Board undertakes.  Ms. Barry and Ms. Kennedy met with the Board this past weekend to answer our questions and discuss the search process. Our next step is to put together the search committee.  This committee will be composed of trustees, faculty, staff, alumni and current students. Additionally, we will define a process that will allow a cross-section of the College's constituents – administration, faculty, staff, students, alumni, parents, community leaders and supporters – to have the opportunity to provide input into the profile description that the firm will use for its search. 

The opportunities as well as challenges in higher education today are significant. IM is aware of the College’s accomplishments, goals and needs as well as our institutional mission, vision and values. The Board has every confidence that IM will be successful in assisting us to find an accomplished, skilled and dedicated leader to serve as Hood’s next President. 

On behalf of Tonya Thomas Finton ’78, chair of the Board of Trustees

Dear Hood College Community,

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I’m happy to announce the appointment of Debbie Ricker, Ph.D. as interim president, effective July 1, 2024.

Dr. Ricker’s commitment to academic quality and to the students’ whole experience – in the classroom and out – perfectly aligns with the mission and vision of Hood College. She has a passion for the scholarship of teaching and student engagement, a deep background in hands-on, applied, experiential education and expertise in student success.

Dr. Ricker began as Hood College’s provost and vice president of academic affairs on July 1, 2016, following a long career at York College of Pennsylvania. As provost and vice president for academic affairs at Hood College, Dr. Ricker supports the academic mission of the institution. She works closely with leadership of the College’s 17 academic departments (including undergraduate and graduate programs) and their faculty, as well as administrative directors of student success, the learning commons/library, Graduate School, institutional research, registrar, career center and faculty services. With the dean of students, as provost she also oversees student life, including residence life and student engagement and orientation.

Dr. Ricker will serve the post vacated by Andrea E. Chapdelaine, who will become the next president of Connecticut College on July 1, 2024. The Board of Trustees is in the process of choosing a presidential search consultant; details will be forthcoming.

I have every confidence that the College will be in good hands while we search for Hood’s next president.

On behalf of Tonya Thomas Finton ’78, Chair, Board of Trustees

Dear Hood Community,

Earlier you received a message from President Chapdelaine communicating her decision to step down as Hood’s president at the end of the current academic year.

During her nine-year tenure as Hood’s president, Hood has advanced on many fronts. Accomplishments include:

  • Completion of the Moving Together Beyond Boundaries strategic plan, which launched new academic programs, significant expansion of strategic partnerships, and investment in employee compensation.
  • Growth in undergraduate and graduate enrollment and improvement in student retention.
  • Investment of nearly $100M investment in our beautiful campus, including the renovation of the Beneficial-Hodson Library and Learning Commons and Coblentz-Memorial Hall, and the building of Blazer Hall, among others.
  • Completion of Forging the Future campaign, raising nearly $75M in support for scholarships, experiential learning, the Hood Fund and more.
  • Expansion and strengthening of Hood’s brand through improvement in national rankings, several awards, and transformational growth in the endowment.

In the coming weeks, we will have more information to share about next steps in this important leadership transition. In the meantime, please join me and the entire Board of Trustees in thanking President Chapdelaine and her family for their years of love and commitment to Hood.

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