Buffkin / Baker to Assist Oklahoma State University in Search for Next President

November 13, 2020 – Executive recruitment firm Buffkin / Baker has been selected to assist in the search for the next president of Oklahoma State University (OSU). Burns Hargis announced his plans to retire at the end of this academic year, on July 1, 2021. Managing partner Martin M. Baker is leading the assignment.
The search process will include broad outreach to the OSU community, including faculty, students, staff, alumni and other dedicated supporters that can offer valuable input. Buffkin / Baker will be assisting the board of regents and search committee in conducting a thorough, open and inclusive process.
OSU wants a dynamic, creative and accomplished leader who can build upon the success of the university through comprehensive academic, research and outreach initiatives, said Buffkin/ Baker. The individual should be a person of extraordinary intellect, accomplishment, insight and judgment. The university is looking for a proven leader who is committed to the principles and practices of diversity, inclusion, equity and access at all levels. In addition, the right candidate will be an effective communicator with superb interpersonal skills, exemplary integrity and enthusiasm.
“We will bring together many individuals from across our university community to form a search committee, which will play an essential role in assisting the regents in identifying and selecting the best-qualified person,” said Rick Davis, OSU/A&M board of regents chair. “The committee will be diverse and include representatives from faculty, staff, students, alumni and the regents.
“We will provide details in the next few weeks on the search committee, search process and ways people can convey their thoughts and ideas on the qualifications for the next president,” Mr. Davis said. “As we begin this important endeavor, the regents welcome the advice, inputs and insights from people across the OSU community.”
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Oklahoma State University is a comprehensive research and land-grant university with statewide, national, and international responsibilities. Founded in 1890 as the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College, Oklahoma State has grown to become a premier modern land-grant university serving more than 35,000 students across a five-campus system. OSU offers more than 350 undergraduate and graduate degrees and options, as well as professional degree programs in medicine and veterinary medicine. OSU has 13,942 total employees, including 2,167 faculty.
A Specialty Boutique Firm
Buffkin / Baker is a specialty boutique search firm composed of industry leaders in their respective fields and each has over a decade of retained search experience. Their focus as search professionals is to recruit leaders in digital marketing/advertising, technology, healthcare, media/entertainment, finance, higher education and non-profit. The firm serves public, private, venture and private equity-backed companies. Its office locations include Nashville, New York, Washington, D.C. and Winston Salem, with affiliate offices in London.
Buffkin / Baker Seeking Chief Diversity Officer for University of San Diego
Buffkin / Baker has been called in by the University of San Diego (USD) in California to assist in its search for a chief diversity officer for diversity, equity, inclusion and access. Leading the assignment are managing partner Martin M. Baker and principal Chelsie Whitelock.
Buffkin / Baker is a member of Panorama Search, an international federation of retained firms with 18 firms and over 30 offices globally. Buffkin / Baker formed in 2017 with the merger of the Buffkin Group and Baker and Associates LLC.
Based in Winston Salem, NC, Mr. Baker has been in executive search for 19 years. In addition to his role as managing partner, he is also head of the firm’s higher education practice. He previously worked in the Atlanta office of Korn Ferry, where he developed search strategy and executed searches for numerous senior-level appointments. He began his career as a research associate with Saxton Bampfylde, an executive search and management assessment firm in London. He has conducted searches for the positions of CEO, CFO, CIO, provost, dean, director and professor, having worked on over 350 searches throughout his career.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media