Funk Associates

Firm Overview

Funk Associates is the premier search and consulting firm in higher education. Headquartered in Dallas, the firm and its consultants are known as the leading recruiters of Presidents, Chancellors, Provosts, and Deans to colleges and universities around the country. The firm’s consultants have conducted more than 400 searches for college and university Presidents and Chancellors alone. Funk Associates has recently been recognized as one of the “Best Executive Search Firms” by Forbes Magazine for the third time. Seen by many as the most objective, data-based ranking of search firms, the award is the result of an independent survey of peers and clients. In total, more than 36,800 external recruiters and 16,000 HR-managers/hiring managers and candidates were invited to participate in this year’s survey conducted by Statista, Inc., the world-leading statistics portal.

Average Time to Completion on Assignment

3 months

News Briefings

Funk Associates Tapped by the University of North Florida to Lead Search for Eighth President

Funk Associates was recently retained by the University of North Florida (UNF) to lead a national search for its eighth president. Past president Moez Limayem stepped down from his position in early 2026. The presidential search committee, chaired by UNF board of trustees member Jack Boyle, plays a critical role in this process, focusing on...

Funk Associates Retained by Clemson University for President Search

Funk Associates has been retained by Clemson University to lead in its search for its 16th president. The university is seeking candidates who possess extraordinary managerial skills, are adept at fund-raising, and are both innovative and visionary. James P. Clements announced his retirement, effective December 31, 2025. “We continue to make outstanding progress in our search...

Funk Associates Appoints President

Funk Associates has made a leadership transition with the appointment of Willie Funk as president of the firm. Bill Funk will continue as the firm’s chief executive officer. In this role, he will continue to guide the strategic direction of the firm and will continue his engagement with clients and continue his consultancy on senior leadership...

Funk Associates Recruits Provost for Clemson University 

Funk Associates has recruited J. Cole Smith as executive vice president for academic affairs and provost of Clemson University. This follows approval from the board of trustees compensation committee. He will replace Robert H. Jones, who announced he was stepping down following 11 years serving as the university’s provost. “I am thrilled to announce that Dr. Cole Smith has...

Funk Associates Fills President Roles for Florida International University, Coastal Carolina University, and University of St. Thomas – Houston

Funk Associates has recently completed presidential searches for Florida International University (FIU), Coastal Carolina University (CCU), and University of St. Thomas – Houston (UST). “These searches reflect the continued trust institutions place in our firm to identify visionary and mission-driven leaders,” said Bill Funk, founder and CEO of Funk Associates. “We are proud to have partnered with each of these...

Funk Associates at Closing Stages of President Search for Florida International University

Funk Associates is currently at the end stages of recruiting the seventh president for Florida International University (FIU). “Over the past several weeks, the presidential search committee has identified and interviewed candidates interested in becoming FIU’s seventh president,” Carlos A. Duart, chair, FIU presidential search committee; vice chair, FIU board of trustees, wrote in a letter...