Greenwood Asher & Associates Seeking New President for Hampshire College
June 13, 2025 – Miramar Beach, FL-based executive recruitment firm Greenwood Asher & Associates was recently retained by Hampshire College in Amherst, MA, to lead in its search for new president. The search is being led by Jim Johnsen and Lauren McCaghren.
Hampshire is seeking a president who believes deeply in the college’s founding vision and who will embrace those principles to chart a compelling path forward. The new president must be inspired by the college’s mission and possess the vision, voice, and visibility to advance, promote, and celebrate it, ensuring Hampshire’s future as a progressive, leading institution of higher education. The president must embrace innovation, facilitate transparent communication that drives toward solutions, and inspire others, both within the Hampshire community as well as outside Hampshire’s community. This work must be accomplished in the context of critical challenges facing higher education and the nation.
The job spec asks: How does a college build a sustainable financial model to achieve excellence in innovative education while ensuring that all capable students have access to that education? How should a college engage with consequential issues in the wider world? How does a campus foster a shared ethos of community while advocating that individual and group voices are essential and must be heard? The board of trustees is seeking a leader for Hampshire who will meet these issues with the rigor, creativity, sensitivity, curiosity, and enthusiasm that characterize Hampshire itself.
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.
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.
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.
Related: Greenwood Asher & Associates Places Provost at George Mason University
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.
Southeast Missouri State University Search
Greenwood Asher & Associates recently assisted in the recruitment of Brad Hodson as the 19th president of Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO). Following a rigorous application review and interview process, the appointment of Dr. Hodson culminates a national search launched last fall.
“The board is excited to make this announcement and strongly believes in Dr. Hodson’s ability to lead SEMO,” said board of governors president Jim Limbaugh. “The university presidency is a complex job, it is ever changing, and it is drastically different than what it was even just a few years ago. From the outset, the board has been clear about its criteria for the next president: someone with knowledge of, and could establish a strong presence in, Jefferson City; someone that would place an emphasis on enrollment; someone with experience in philanthropy and fundraising; someone with a strong financial acumen; and someone that could build relationships both internal and external to the university—these were the characteristics that the board felt were critical for the next president of the university.”
“Dr. Hodson meets and exceeds these criteria,” Mr. Limbaugh said. “With 30 years of higher education experience, he has a clear understanding of the fiscal and enrollment challenges facing higher education in general and regional comprehensive institutions in particular. He has significant experience raising external resources, working with the legislature, supervising critical campus units, engaging with students, making important hiring decisions, and so many other strengths necessary to succeed in the role.”
Related: Greenwood Asher & Associates Assists the University of Arkansas System with President Search
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
