CarterBaldwin Executive Search Tapped by Pepperdine University to Find Chief Diversity Officer
October 23, 2020 – The role of chief diversity officer is expanding at universities across the country. It has, in fact, become one of the most important positions for shaping the vision, culture and very face of institutions of higher learning from coast to coast. Pandemic or not, higher educational institutions need talent and these roles are now seen as paramount for them.
CarterBaldwin Executive Search was recently retained by Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA, to lead its search for its inaugural vice president for community belonging and chief diversity officer. Founding partner Price Harding is leading the assignment along with partner Andrea McDaniel Smith.
Pepperdine wants a collaborative, strategic, results-oriented, energetic and faithful Christian leader, said the search firm. This inaugural position will be a member of the senior administrative team, reporting to and advising the president. He or she will serve on the university steering team and lead the university diversity council; partnering with existing work related to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging; intentionally building relationships with students, staff and faculty across the university.
“Pepperdine is in the midst of a strategic planning process, and this executive will play a key role in implementing and advancing the university’s aspirational goals related to diversity, inclusion and belonging,” CarterBaldwin said. “He or she will join a leadership team that values collegiality, collaboration and transparency. The ideal candidate will be able to articulate and frame a clear and compelling vision of community belonging grounded in Christian faith and witness and will be cognizant of the best scholarship and practices in the field.”
The search firm said that this “position is an exciting opportunity to shape a leadership role in accordance with the university’s mission and institutional needs and priorities. More broadly, the selected candidate will harness and curate thought leadership on issues related to diversity and community belonging from the Pepperdine community and beyond and will catalyze relevant conversation both within and outside the global church.”
The incoming leader should have substantial leadership or administrative experience, ideally in a university or other not-for-profit organization. The individual should have significant diversity-related work in higher education. In addition, candidates should have demonstrated success in creating and administering relevant policies, initiatives and educational programming. The university is also looking for someone that integrates Christian faith with professional work, drawing upon a mature, authentic Christian faith and deeply-rooted theological commitments.
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Ranked in the top 50 national universities by U.S. News & World Report, Pepperdine enrolls about 7,800 full-time and part-time students in its five colleges and schools with about 380 full-time faculty and over 1,110 full-time staff. Pepperdine has five graduate campuses across Southern California, six permanent international campuses, and additional study and internship programs on six continents. Pepperdine has top-ranked programs for graduate and undergraduate studies, with 73 degree programs and a 12.5:1 student teacher ratio across five schools. Pepperdine’s NCAA athletic program comprises eight men’s and nine women’s Division I teams, 13 national championships and 12 individual championships. Its graduates include 48 Olympians and six gold medalists.
Veteran Consultants
Headquartered in Atlanta, CarterBaldwin provides executive search services in the healthcare, technology, non-profit, consumer services, industrial and media/telecom sectors. Its clients include name-brand institutions, such as KPMG, ADP, Teradata, First Data, Duke University, New York Life, Fleet Pride and Berkshire Hathaway. The firm is listed among the Top 50, the Private Equity Power 75, and the Top 40 Higher Education Search Firms – all rankings published by Hunt Scanlon Media.
CarterBaldwin Announces Search for Tyndale House Ministries Chief Executive Officer
Tyndale House Ministries, one of the largest independent Christian publishers in the world, has selected CarterBaldwin Executive Search to conduct a global search for its new CEO. Since 1962, Tyndale has grown from a modest home operation into a major publishing entity located in Carol Stream, IL. Following 36 years leading the organization, Tyndale House Ministries CEO Mark Taylor has announced his decision to retire in 2021.
The Tyndale board of directors has initiated the search to identify a new CEO who can leverage the strength of the past and lead the organization confidently into the future.
Mr. Harding has been principal consultant on nearly 1,000 recruiting engagements for C-level leadership, officers and directors for privately held and publicly traded companies. He also co-leads CarterBaldwin’s university and non-profit search practice.
Ms. McDaniel Smith directs CarterBaldwin’s office in Washington, D.C., and serves social sector clients including non-profit organizations, universities, foundations, and social enterprises. Prior to entering executive search, she gained extensive experience in public policy, public-private partnerships and non-profit organizations.
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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
