About Us

AGB Search offers executive search, interim search, and compensation evaluation services exclusively for higher education institutions. Founded by the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) in 2010, we have an unmatched understanding of the qualifications critical for effective higher education leadership.Our affiliation with AGB ensures clients receive access to valued governance resources and training, in addition to our highly-regarded search services.

AGB Search’s Executive Search Consultants have extensive experience in higher education search, and many have served in college and university leadership positions. We have a team of Associates and Research Associates who expertly manage the search and vetting process, and our staff serves as critical support to the search professionals. Our track record provides institutional search teams with the confidence that their search will be successful.

Our deep expertise, coupled with our commitment to our work, results in successful outcomes for both clients and candidates. We have completed more than 750 search assignments, more than 250 of which were Presidents or Chancellors. Fifty percent of our appointments are women or people of color, and 93 percent of our appointments stay in their positions for at least five years.

Achievements

Recent Assignments

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Most of our search consultants are former presidents or senior executives of public and private four-year institutions, state and university systems, and community colleges.

Solutions And Expertise

Our deep expertise, coupled with our commitment to our work, results in successful outcomes for both clients and candidates.  We have completed more than 750 search assignments, more than 250 of which were Presidents or Chancellors. Fifty percent of our appointments are women or people of color, and 93 percent of our appointments stay in their positions for at least five years.

Solutions
  • Anti-Bias Training
  • Behavioral and Cognitive Assessment
  • Compensation Consulting
  • Executive Search
  • Interim
  • Leadership Consulting
  • Presidential Transition Support
Industries
  • Associations
  • Colleges/Universities
  • Foundations
  • Higher Education
  • Non-Profits
Functions
  • Administration & Finance
  • Advancement
  • Advancement & Foundations
  • Community College Leaders
  • Foundations
  • Presidents & Chancellors
  • Provosts & Deans

News Briefings

AGB Search Assists Rhode Island College in Finding New President

In recent months, a number of top schools have announced that they are looking for new, high-profile leaders to take them into new eras of fundraising, digitalization, sports and, in some cases, globalization. Some universities that are looking for new leaders after a long spell without turnover are discovering a vastly different and highly competitive

AGB Search Tapped by Mount Saint Mary College to Find New President

Academic institutions continue to pump big fees into the coffers of executive search firms nationwide. Many academic recruiting specialists say business has never been better. Even smaller recruiting outfits have multiple assignments running concurrently, all at the senior levels. With so much activity, it seems, talent demand is far outstripping the supply. In recent months,

University of Alaska Anchorage Taps AGB Search to Find CIO

Washington, D.C.-based recruitment firm AGB Search, which specializes in higher education leadership assignments, has been selected by the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) to lead in its search for a new chief information officer. Margaret Plympton and Monica Burton are leading the assignment. The CIO will be managing a staff of 40 and a budget of $8.9 million. This

AGB Search Seeks New President for University of Dubuque

Washington, D.C.-based AGB Search, which specializes in higher education leadership assignments, has been selected to find the next president for the University of Dubuque (UD) in Iowa. Senior executive search consultant Sally Mason and executive search consultant Larry Ladd are spearheading the assignment. Earlier this year, Rev. Jeffrey Bullock announced he would be stepping down from

Press Releases

AGB Search Continues Growth with New Executive Search Consultants

New consultants bring a diverse wealth of experience to higher education searches WASHINGTON, D.C., August 14, 2023 – AGB Search, a national leader in higher education executive search, continues to grow its roster of executive search consultants. During its 2022-2023 fiscal year, the firm has brought on nearly a dozen experts in higher education leadership

AGB Search Welcomes Matthew Kilcoyne As Principal

WASHINGTON, D.C., January 11, 2023 – AGB Search, a national leader in higher education executive search, has announced the appointment of Matthew Kilcoyne as the firm’s newest principal. Kilcoyne brings extensive higher education executive search experience to the firm, having served as consultant, speaker and panelist in the field for over 20 years. Kilcoyne’s executive

AGB Search Announces Recent Leadership Appointments

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 23, 2022 – AGB Search, a national leader in higher education executive search, is pleased to announce the following recent appointments: Benedict College has appointed Akilah Carter-Francique as the new dean of education. Carter-Francique joins Benedict College after serving as executive director for the Institute for the Study of Sport, Society and

AGB Search Explores The Role of Chief Diversity Officers in Higher Education – Voices from the Academy episode features Rider University Chief Diversity Officer Barbara J. Lawrence

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 20, 2022 – AGB Search, a national leader in higher education executive search, examines the challenges and successes of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts at colleges and universities with the newest installment of its video series Voices from the Academy. The series features higher education leaders who are meeting today’s challenges

Multimedia

Podcasts

Cultivating the Higher Education Leadership Pipeline

In this brand new episode of ‘Talent Talks,’ Hunt Scanlon Media host Rob Adams is joined by Dr. Rod McDavis, managing principal of AGB Search and former President of Ohio University; and Dr. Nancy Zimpher, Chancellor Emerita, State University of New York. Together, Drs. McDavis and Zimpher founded the AGB Institute for Leadership & Governance

Blogs

Videos

AGB Search

Voices from the Academy Video Series

President Joan Gabel, University of Minnesota
Dr. M. Brian Blake (Part 1), George Washington University; COVID, Black Lives Matter
Dr. M. Brian Blake (Part 2); George Washington University; Enrollment & Campus Engagement
Dr. M. Brian Blake (Part 3), George Washington University; The Role of Provost
President Keith Whitfield, University of Nevada, Las Vegas