UHD President Loren J. Blanchard

Dear University Community,

I would like to provide an update regarding the search for the University of Houston-Downtown’s next Senior Vice President for Administration & Finance and Vice President for Advancement & University Relations.

Both search committees have been appointed and include faculty, staff, students, alumni and community leaders. The candidate selection process for both positions is underway, and details on both searches are as follows:

Vice President for Administration & Finance
Ms. Stefany Records, Executive Director of Administration & Finance, will chair the search team, and UHD is working in partnership with AGB Search to identify qualified candidates. AGB Search offers executive search, interim search and compensation evaluation services exclusively for higher education institutions. Founded by the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges in 2010, AGB Search brings an unmatched understanding of the qualifications critical for effective higher education leadership. Information on the search committee, job description and other details are available online.

Vice President for Advancement & University Relations
Dr. Liza Alonzo, Director of Events and Alumni Relations, and Ms. Emily Leffler, Assistant Dean for the Marilyn Davies College of Business, will co-chair the search team. UHD retained WittKieffer to assist in the selection process for this position. WittKieffer is a global executive search firm with 50 years of experience. The company is ranked among Forbes’ top recruiting firms and listed as one of Hunt Scanlon’s Top 10 executive recruiters in the United States. Further details on the search committee, job description and other details can be found online.

I thank the chairs, co-chairs and all search committee members for their dedication as we select candidates for these two critical leadership roles.

I hold full confidence that both committees are devoted to conducting a comprehensive search that will yield the best results for our great institution. To provide clarity and transparency during this process, UHD will keep stakeholders apprised of any major developments through our website and email communications. Further, the University Community will have a chance to meet final candidates during campus forums before UHD extends a job offer.

These activities complement the ongoing quest to name our next Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs & Provost. We are narrowing our pool of candidates and expect to announce finalists as well as the next steps for campus forums soon.

Finally, I’d like to thank all of you for the work you perform each day. Your efforts have enhanced our reputation and placed UHD in a strong position to attract promising candidates. Your participation in this important process will certainly support our endeavors in identifying the next members of our leadership team.

Sincerely,

Loren J. Blanchard, Ph.D.
President, University of Houston-Downtown