Updates

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

9. Betsy Brennan '85, Alumna and former trustee

Senior Staff Representative

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

Faculty Representatives

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

Student Representatives

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

Staff Representatives

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

Committee Resource Person

17. 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,

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.