We are pleased to announce the full membership of the Presidential Search Committee, which will work collaboratively in partnership with executive search firm WittKieffer, to ensure an inclusive and thorough search process for the next president of Franklin Pierce. 

The Committee’s membership represents a broad range of backgrounds and experiences, but all share an unwavering dedication to our University. 

The Presidential Search Committee members are: 

• Frederick W. Pierce, IV, Immediate Past Chair, Board of Trustees and Co-Chair, Presidential Search Committee
• Steve Duprey, Chair, Board of Trustees and Co-Chair, Presidential Search Committee
• Genevieve McGillicuddy ’94, Vice Chair, Board of Trustees
• Lloyd Astmann ’69, Trustee Emeritus
• Carleen Farrell ’71, Trustee Emerita
• Jacqueline McDunnah ’03, President, Alumni Board of Directors
• Christine Betts, Assistant Professor, College of Business
• Rachel Burleson, Director of Athletics
• Steve Camerino Hon. DHL ’23, Former Member, Board of Trustees
• Mary Kelly, Ph.D., Professor of History, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
• Priscilla Marsicovetere, JD, PA-C, Dean, College of Health and Natural Sciences
• Paul McLellan ’23, MBA ’25, graduate student
• Kyle Rao ’15, Catering and Conference Services Manager, Sodexo
• Scott Richardson, Ph.D., Associate Professor, College of Health and Natural Sciences
• Sarah Tatro, Human Resources Manager
• Isabella Williams ’25, Biology, undergraduate student 

The Presidential Search Committee met earlier this week to initiate their efforts and set an aggressive timeline in order to identify our next president ahead of the end of the academic year. Additionally, in the coming weeks, the WittKieffer team which includes Jeff Compher, Lucy Leske, and Kim Migoya, will be meeting with faculty, staff, administrators, alumni, community members and student representatives to hear your thoughts on the opportunities that lie ahead, as well as the ideal qualities and characteristics for the next president. 

To share comments on the search, please feel free to email WittKieffer directly at FPUPresident@wittkieffer.com.

Sincerely, 
Frederick W. Pierce, IV
Immediate Past Chair, Board of Trustees 
Co-Chair, Presidential Search Committee

Steve Duprey
Chair, Board of Trustees
Co-Chair, Presidential Search Committee

As the search committee has been established and seated, received their charge and engaged in discussions regarding the search process ahead, they are preparing to develop and distribute a campus input survey in the days ahead, and will hold campus listening sessions the week of November 13. These sessions will take place both in person on the Rindge Campus and via Zoom meeting.

“The search committee will be holding the meetings,” explained Lucy Leske, WittKieffer senior partner, “and my colleagues and I will provide our support to help them make these discussions as informative and productive as possible.” 

These sessions represent a crucial step in the process to gather input from university stakeholder groups and will last 45-60 minutes.

Listening sessions have been scheduled the week of November 13 for student, faculty and staff groups. Meeting details have been shared via email.

All times listed below reflect Eastern Standard Time (EST).

Monday, November 13
10:45 - 11:30 a.m. - FPU Senior Leadership Team Listening Session
11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. - Search Committee Meeting
1 - 2 p.m. - Open session #1 for FPU Staff in Spagnuolo Hall
3:30 - 4:15 p.m. - Open session #1 for FPU Faculty in Spagnuolo Hall
4:30 - 5:15 p.m. - Academic Senate Listening Session
6:15 - 7 p.m. - Open session for Rindge students in Spagnuolo Hall
7:15 - 8 p.m. - Alumni Association Board of Directors Listening Session (Zoom)

Tuesday, November 14
9:45 - 10:45 a.m. - Open session #2 for FPU Staff in Spagnuolo Hall
11 - 11:45 a.m. - Deans & Provost Listening Session
6 - 6:45 p.m. - Student Athlete Advisory Council Listening Session (Zoom)

Wednesday, November 15
12 - 12:45 p.m. - Lebanon, NH Academic Center Faculty & Staff Listening Session (Zoom)
1 - 1:45 p.m. - Manchester, NH Academic Center Faculty & Staff Listening Session (Zoom)
4 - 4:45 p.m. - Goodyear, AZ and Round Rock, TX Academic Center Faculty & Staff Listening Session (Zoom)
6:30 - 7:15 p.m. - Student Government Association Listening Session (Zoom)

Thursday, November 16
9 - 9:45 a.m. - Open session #3 for FPU Staff (Zoom)
5:30 - 6:15 p.m. - Open Session for Online/Graduate students (Zoom)

Friday, November 17
10 - 10:45 a.m. - Community Leaders Listening Session (Zoom)
4 - 4:45 p.m. - Open session #2 for FPU Faculty (Zoom)

A survey is also forthcoming to collect additional comments and feedback from both members of the Franklin Pierce Community and community-at-large. 

A survey has been created to collect additional comments and feedback from both members of the Franklin Pierce Community and community-at-large on the Presidential Search. 

Please click here to submit your feedback via the survey. 

We are pleased to report that the presidential search is now publicly underway. Our partners at WittKieffer have officially launched the nationwide search which you can more about here. You can also view a PDF of the Leadership Profile here. The Leadership Profile reflects the feedback we received from our faculty, staff, students, community leaders, alumni, and trustees. We would like to thank all of you who took the time to share your thoughts by participating in one of the many listening sessions or by providing feedback through the online survey. Your feedback provided a genuine and hopeful view on the current and future state of Franklin Pierce University. 
 
We also invite you to nominate individuals for President. These nominations are confidential and should be sent to the following email address: FPUPresident@wittkieffer.com.
 
We will continue to provide updates as the search process continues. We thank you for all you do for this outstanding university and wish you the best for a wonderful holiday season and safe and happy new year.
 
Sincerely,

Steve Duprey, Chair and Fred Pierce, Immediate Past Chair, Franklin Pierce University Board of Trustees and Co-Chairs of the Presidential Search Committee

With recruitment efforts underway, we are pleased to share that the search process for Franklin Pierce University's next president is progressing well. 

The Presidential Search Committee met recently with its partners on the WittKieffer team and was encouraged by the level of response and interest from candidates at this stage.

As we move forward, the search schedule remains on track:
1. The search officially launched in late December 2023.
2. The executive search firm, WittKieffer, continues recruitment efforts into the new year and encourages the submission of candidate nominations.
3. The Presidential Search Committee will begin its review of applicant materials in late winter at which time a selection of candidates will be invited to engage in the interview process.
4. The Board of Trustees is expected to announce the new president in late spring of 2024, with a transition fully in place ahead of the 2024 - 2025 academic year.

We would like to thank the many members of the FPU community who volunteered their time to meet with the WittKieffer team, whether in person or virtually, to share feedback and insights on the opportunities for leadership and the qualities that you would like to see in the next president. Your insight is invaluable to this process, and we truly appreciate your participation.

To share additional insights or to confidentially nominate someone for the role, please feel free to email WittKieffer directly at FPUPresident@wittkieffer.com.

Sincerely,
Frederick W. Pierce, IV
Immediate Past Chair, Board of Trustees 
Co-Chair, Presidential Search Committee

Steve Duprey
Chair, Board of Trustees
Co-Chair, Presidential Search Committee