Committee Formed to Recruit New Vice President for External Affairs

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The search to fill the new position of vice president for external affairs has begun, with a search committee in place and a consultant hired to assist in the process.

John M. Thomas, dean of the School of Management, has been named chair of the search committee. Ilene Nagel of Education Executives Inc. will assist the committee. Nagel played a key role in the recruitment of Jorge José as vice president for research, as well as the recent presidential and provostal searches. 

President John B. Simpson and Provost Satish K. Tripathi, executive vice president for academic affairs, established the new position of vice president for external affairs "to provide senior leadership, oversight, coordination and clarity to all outreach activities and initiatives between the university and all external constituencies," Thomas said. "Working with government affairs, advancement, alumni relations, creative and news services, and other units in the university, the individual appointed to this new vice presidency will be responsible for creating and implementing a multifaceted strategic vision to publicize, champion and capitalize upon the university's rich cultural and educational history, research achievements and academic strengths."

The new vice president also would oversee a new "community engagement unit," a key recommendation of the Community Engagement Task Force established by Simpson as part of the UB 2020 institutional planning process.

The unit would development partnerships and target tasks, resources and responsibilities within the community. It also would promote a long-term, image-building campaign and implement tools to monitor and promote UB's image in the community. The unit would be identified as the place for members of the community to go when seeking assistance from UB.

Thomas noted that the vice president for external affairs search committee has set "a very aggressive timetable" for the completion of this search.  Ads have been placed in relevant print and electronic media outlets, and the panel plans to meet early next month to review the first set of applications and nominations. Final interviews for the position are expected to take place on campus sometime in June.

A Web site has been established for the search. More information about the vice president for external affairs position and the application/nomination process may be found at http://www.buffalo.edu/vpeasearch. 

To ensure the recruitment of the most qualified applicant pool, Thomas said the identity of all candidates will remain confidential until the time of final interviews. 

"We look forward to engaging the campus community appropriately in the final interview process," he said.

Thomas stressed that the search committee is avidly seeking input from members of the UB community regarding the search process. Ideas concerning the search and the position, as well as nominations for the position, may be submitted electronically to vpea-search@vpsa.buffalo.edu.

In addition to Thomas, members of the search committee are Donald K. Boswell, president and chief executive officer, WNY Public Broadcasting Association; Jonathan A. Dandes, a member of the UB Council and president, Rich Baseball Operations; Colin G. Drury, professor and chair, Department of Industrial Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences; Marsha S. Henderson, a trustee of the UB Foundation and president, KeyBank, N.A., Western New York District; Arun K. Jain, professor and chair, Department of Marketing, School of Management.

Also, D. Bruce Johnstone, University Professor of Higher and Comparative Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Policy, Graduate School of Education; William J. Maher, interim director, Division of Athletics; Susan V. Mangold, professor, UB Law School; Scott Nostaja, president and CEO, AVCOR Consulting; and John B. Sheffer II, executive director, Institute for Local Governance and Regional Growth.