Anthem Executive Seeking President for Texas A&M International University
May 9, 2025 – Executive recruitment firm Anthem Executive has been retained by Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) to lead in its search for a new president. Michael Ballew, Scott Watson, Mike “JR” Wheless, and Florene Stawowy are leading the assignment.
Texas A&M International University and the board of regents of the Texas A&M University System (TAMUS) are searching for a dynamic, effective, and forward-thinking leader to serve as its next president. The president serves as the chief executive officer of TAMIU and is responsible for the executive management of the university’s operations. The president provides overall leadership in the planning and management of the university’s academic, administrative, community outreach, fiscal, international, operational, and auxiliary enterprise missions. The president is appointed by the TAMUS board of regents with a recommendation from the chancellor (TAMUS chief executive officer). The president reports directly to the chancellor and is a peer-direct report with the presidents of the other system universities.
Those applying should have demonstrated success in leading complex organizations, managing teams, and overseeing strategic planning and operational execution. They must have a deep appreciation for the academic mission of a university and a strong commitment to supporting student learning, access, achievement, and faculty research or creative activity. They should possess experience with large-scale budget oversight, resource management, and long-term financial planning.
For non-traditional candidates, experience working with or within educational institutions, governing boards, or mission-aligned organizations is needed. For traditional candidates, experience as a senior academic leader (e.g., dean, provost, vice president, president) in a college or university setting is preferred.
A member of The Texas A&M University System, Texas A&M International University is a primarily Hispanic-serving, public university founded in 1970. The campus enjoys a broad-based enrollment of nearly 9,000 students from 31 countries and 28 US states. TAMIU offers transformative undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees in the arts and sciences, business, education, and nursing.
Serves Clients Across a Range of Business Sectors
Anthem Executive, headquartered in Houston, TX, serves clients across a range of business sectors, including higher education, health sciences, corporate and non-profit institutions, global software and technology, private equity, insurance, service and manufacturing, oil and gas, and others. Its consultants bring a combined 80 years’ experience in the search industry. The firm’s higher education practice spans the entire leadership spectrum. In other sectors, Anthem Executive covers all roles from CEO and other C-suite leaders, board directors, vice president, and director, among others.
Related: Anthem Executive Assists Midwestern State University with President Search
Mr. Ballew, a registered Native American and member of the Echota Cherokee Tribe, serves as the firm’s chief diversity, inclusion, equity, and compliance officer, as well as search committee facilitator. He joined the executive search industry 14 years ago following a 20-plus year career in senior-level management with expertise in recruiting, counseling, training, operations, strategic planning, facilitation, project management, and workplace diversity.
Mr. Watson has been in the executive search industry for over 30 years. In addition to higher education institutions, he has served hospital/health systems, global software and technology companies, private equity enterprises, MCOs, insurance companies, service and manufacturing organizations with global footprints, and others.
Mr. Wheless, a veteran of more than two decades in the search industry, has served a broad portfolio of clients across many industry lines on behalf of organizations ranging from small operations to Fortune $100 billion plus enterprises – including working with and recruiting some of the nation’s most influential leadership. Mr. Wheless has served institutions and organizations across a broad range of geographies and sectors in higher education, technology, healthcare, energy, financial services, law, insurance, hospitality and food services, retail, CPG, EPC, manufacturing, aerospace, mining, construction, and real estate.
Ms. Stawowy, who has been in executive search for over 20 years, is a core member of the higher education and academic health practice. Over the last two decades, she has developed deep expertise in senior‐level search, having been charged with numerous executive leadership transitions with a particular emphasis on higher education and academic health search.
Related: Anthem Executive Recruits President for Lamar University
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
