Greenwood Asher & Associates Assists Hampshire College Recruit 9th President
November 14, 2025 – Miramar Beach, FL-based executive recruitment firm Greenwood Asher & Associates has placed Jennifer Chrisler as the 9th president of Hampshire College. The search was led by Jim Johnsen and Lauren McCaghren. “Jennifer Chrisler’s exemplary leadership has already proven essential for the college, with a combination of vision and resilience that makes her a perfect fit for us as an experimenting institution,” said Jose Fuentes, chair of Hampshire’s board. “In her, we have a steady and savvy financial hand, as well as a strategist who can see the macro trends in higher education and forge an innovative future for both Hampshire and the liberal arts.”
“I can’t think of a better person to take the reins at Hampshire College right now than Jennifer Chrisler,” said filmmaker Ken Burns , an alum of the college and co-chair of its Change in the Making campaign. “She has lived our recent past and knows the workings and the secret sauce of the college at every level. I look forward to working with her over the coming months and years as Hampshire continues to be the groundbreaking laboratory of higher education in the country.”
Ms. Chrisler joined Hampshire in 2019, at a critical moment in the college’s history, when the board and community committed to Hampshire as an independent, autonomous institution delivering on its distinctive mission. As chief advancement officer, vice president of institutional support and interim president, she was responsible for much of the college’s external presence and revenue generation, including fundraising, enrollment, and auxiliary enterprises.
Previously, as vice chancellor for advancement at UMass Dartmouth, Ms. Chrisler was responsible for fundraising, alumni relations, family and community engagement, public affairs, marketing and conferencing, and events. In her previous role as vice president of alumnae relations at Smith College, she was responsible for the full breadth of alumnae engagement programming delivered to more than 55,000 alumnae worldwide.
“I believe in Hampshire’s promise, and I believe in its people,” said Ms. Chrisler. “The college’s creation required a radical rethinking of how to approach the liberal arts, and we’ve been pushing higher education forward ever since. Hampshire’s purpose is reinvention, which is a vital capacity in the current moment. Now is the time to supercharge our work to envision a 21st-century education that prioritizes student agency, adaptability, and real-world impact. The key to all of this is to lay the groundwork for transformative growth with the Hampshire community while ensuring Hampshire’s operational health.”
Related: Greenwood Asher & Associates Assists Southeast Missouri State University with President Search
Hampshire College is a private liberal arts institution known for its innovative and unconventional approach to higher education. Founded in 1970, the college emphasizes self-directed learning, interdisciplinary study, and narrative evaluations instead of traditional grades. Students at Hampshire design their own academic concentrations, working closely with faculty mentors to shape personalized curricula and complete a final Division III project, akin to a thesis. As a member of the Five College Consortium—which includes Amherst, Smith, Mount Holyoke Colleges, and UMass Amherst—Hampshire students have access to a wide range of courses and resources across all five campuses.
Diverse Consulting Team
Greenwood Asher & Associates is an executive search firm with a diverse consulting team and extensive experience in executive search, consulting, and training for education markets including elementary, secondary, higher education, university systems, campuses and non-profit organizations including associations, service, and cultural institutions. The firm was acquired in 2020 by Kelly Education, a global leader in workforce management solutions offering staffing services to top companies.
Greenwood Asher & Associates Seeking Provost for West Virginia University
Greenwood Asher & Associates is currently conducting a search for a new provost and vice president for academic affairs for West Virginia University (WVU). Under the leadership of its new president Michael Benson, the university seeks an inspirational academic leader to help them the university a path forward as a land-grant institution and the flagship university of the state. The next provost must understand WVU’s commitment to the land-grant mission and the vital role the school plays in the state, bring a substantial understanding of academic programs, research portfolio, extension and engagement programs, and evolving landscape of higher education, and demonstrate an unwavering dedication to lead in alignment with the University’s values and strategic priorities.
Ms. McCaghren, search consultant, brings 14 years of experience in higher education to her work as a senior executive search consultant. She previously served in advancement roles at University of Mobile, Samford University, Catholic University of America and George Washington University. Ms. McCaghren has a broad background in advancement, including work with alumni relations, annual giving, stewardship and volunteer management. She has also served in roles outside advancement, including serving as an adjunct faculty member and alumni director in a law school.
Mr. Johnsen serves Greenwood Asher & Associates and its clients by developing partnerships informed by his background in, and passion for, leadership in higher education, business, and government. Prior to joining the firm, he served as a senior fellow at the National Association of System Heads (NASH), lecturer in the School of Management at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, commissioner for the Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education, and Alaska representative to the State Higher Education Executive Officers.
Related: Greenwood Asher & Associates Places Provost at George Mason University
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
