AGB Search Seeks President for Nazareth College
October 24, 2019 – AGB Search, a Washington, D.C.-based recruitment firm, is looking for a new president for Nazareth College in Pittsford, NY. Consultants Oscar Page and Shannon McCambridge are spearheading the assignment.
This spring, Daan Braveman announced that he would be retiring next June after 15 years as president. He is the longest serving leader in the private college’s 95-year history.
The new leader will be expected to continue the process of assessing current and new academic opportunities that will support the mission of the college and the changing educational needs of the students of the 21st century, said AGB Search. The individual will also be charged with strengthening overall enrollment through strong recruitment management efforts and maintaining a strong program of retention. He or she will also be asked to emphasize a strategic vision that focuses on creating an inclusive community of belonging. The job further calls for growing and expanding efforts to prepare students for a meaningful life of work and commitment to community.
A Visionary Leader
Nazareth College’s next president will be expected to enhance the school’s financial strength, including growing the endowment, necessary to create flexibility to support the goals of the institution; lead the college in developing a clear understanding and articulation of what differentiates and defines Nazareth, to result in consistent and effective marketing that reflects both the traditions and new era of the college; and serve as an inspiring, collaborative and visionary leader with a deep commitment to a comprehensive liberal arts education as well as distinguished graduate and professional programs.
Candidates must have an astute understanding of the challenges facing 21st-century higher education, said AGB Search. It is also expected that the next president will understand, support, passionately embrace and model values-driven leadership that includes experiential learning and civic engagement. The individual should also have earned distinction as an institutional leader with a record of progressive responsibility, financial acumen and business experience comparable in complexity and scope to that of the college and the courage to make critical decisions.
Prospects are expected to have experience in senior-level administration with preference given to experience in higher education. Successful leaders from sectors outside higher education will be considered. A terminal degree is preferred. Nazareth also wants an eager and proven fundraiser capable of partnering with the college’s advancement team to launch a capital campaign, enthusiastically build lasting and authentic relationships and partnerships, motivate a diverse group of stakeholders and stimulate a robust culture of philanthropy.
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Founded in 1924, Nazareth is a coeducational, religiously independent college on a classic suburban campus just outside Rochester, NY. The college offers rigorous programs in the liberal arts and sciences and the professions, and an innovative core curriculum. It has 2,269 undergraduate and 718 graduate students from 36 states and 20 countries. Nazareth has 183 full-time faculty. With more than 60 undergraduate and graduate programs, a vibrant arts center and a variety of athletic teams, clubs and organizations, the college prides itself on preparing graduates for their life’s work.
Higher Education Search
AGB Search, which specializes in higher education leadership, conducts searches for college and university presidents, chancellors, provosts, vice presidents, deans, university system heads and CEOs of coordinating boards and related foundations. The firm was founded by the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) in 2010.
Dr. Page joined AGB Search in 2010 as one of the firm’s first executive search consultants. He has successfully completed searches for more than 65 presidential, provost, chief executive officer, and dean positions. He also serves as a consultant to boards of trustees and presidents for supporting presidential transitions. Dr. Page became the 14th president of Austin College in 1994 and served until 2009. Prior to that, he served for six years as president of Austin Peay State University (Tennessee), and spent 10 years at Lander University (South Carolina), where he was provost and vice president for academic affairs and was appointed as acting president for a term.
Ms. McCambridge, who AGB Search in 2014, has focused on serving the executive search needs in Catholic higher education across the country. In addition to an advanced degree in employment law, Ms. McCambridge’s professional background includes many years of practicing and teaching employment law. Ms. McCambridge provides anti-bias training for AGB Search clients. The training is designed to educate search committee on the existence of implicit bias and provide safeguards in the selection process in order to create a more diverse and welcoming workplace.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor; and Andrew W. Mitchell, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
