Presidential Search Updates

Dear Geneseo Campus Community:

I am writing to formally introduce myself as the chair of the Presidential Search Committee, to announce the search firm that will be guiding and supporting this important work, to invite you to engage in upcoming listening sessions, and to share a bit about the search process and timeline.

Introduction

I am honored to be serving as the chair of this search. I am a Geneseo Class of ‘95 graduate and graduate of the University of Dayton School of Law, and I have been serving on Geneseo’s College Council since 2008. The search committee will receive its official charge from Chancellor King later this week, after which the committee membership will be formally announced to the campus community.

WittKieffer Selected As Search Firm

Leading us through this process will be the executive search firm, WittKieffer. Our dedicated consultants, Greg Duyck and Melody Rose, will guide the search from start to finish, in concert with their team. They will engage with the search committee regularly, conduct information-gathering sessions with the campus community, recruit candidates, seek feedback, and provide counsel throughout the process. We are fortunate to have their expertise and that of the SUNY System.

Listening Sessions 

To begin the process, WittKieffer will hold a series of listening sessions with stakeholder groups to learn more about Geneseo and the skills and attributes the campus community desires in its next president. Your input is vital as these listening sessions help shape the leadership profile, which is used to market the opportunity nationwide. A separate communication will go out to stakeholder groups with the schedule of listening sessions, which will be held throughout the week of February 24. I encourage everyone to participate. 

Upon completion of the listening sessions, WittKieffer will begin actively recruiting candidates. We aim to screen candidates and conduct initial and semi-finalist interviews throughout April and May, so that College Council can recommend finalists to the Chancellor and SUNY Board of Trustees in June. This is an ambitious timeline, but I am confident that the unique and exciting opportunity to lead New York’s Public Honors College will yield a highly competitive candidate pool.

Search Process and Timeline

SUNY has elected to use a representational model for this search. In a representational model, expanded groups of individuals, representing key university constituencies, meet with the semi-finalists in lieu of an open forum during on-campus interviews. These individuals are required to sign non-disclosure agreements and are invited to provide their feedback to the search committee following candidate visits, ensuring that their voices and the voices of the constituent groups they represent are heard. 
 

Nationally, the representational search model is becoming increasingly adopted as a balanced, inclusive approach to presidential selection. This model will offer a key advantage to Geneseo in its search process. In today’s higher education landscape, many senior sitting university leaders are reluctant to publicly disclose their candidacies. Since only three semi-finalists are recommended to SUNY as finalists and only one candidate is selected to become Geneseo’s next president, the others will likely return to their current institutions.  Public exposure could force them to explain their candidacy to donors, faculty, staff, policymakers, students, and their broader university community - potentially affecting their ability to lead effectively and putting their positions at risk. Given this reality, it is likely that a traditional open process would diminish the number of qualified senior leaders in the applicant pool. We must be aware of such impacts in light of our vision to be the nation’s first equity-centered honors college. 
 

By using a representational model, we will have the benefit of significant campus input (faculty, staff, students, and other key stakeholders) while still mitigating the candidates’ risk of exposure, thus increasing the strength of the applicant pool. This approach will allow us to attract outstanding leaders while maintaining a process that is inclusive, transparent, and reflective of our campus community’s voice. I am committed to ensuring that representatives from a broad cross-section of college constituencies can meet with our semi-finalists.
 

It is our goal to have the next president begin their work at Geneseo no later than August 25, the first day of classes for the Fall 2025 semester. The search timeline has been crafted to support that goal. You may visit the Presidential Search webpage for an overview of the timeline and the latest information on the search. Lastly, I invite you to suggest potential candidates to WittKieffer at GeneseoPresident@wittkieffer.com. 
 

Respectfully,

Christian Valentino, Esq. ‘95

I am thrilled that the search for the next president of Geneseo is underway. As I indicated in my message to the campus community, the team at WittKieffer will begin hosting a series of listening sessions the week of February 24. These listening sessions are a critical first step in the search process. Your thoughts will help shape the leadership profile (job ad), WittKieffer’s recruitment efforts, and the search committee’s evaluation of candidates. 

WittKieffer has provided guidelines to frame the listening session discussions. I encourage you to review these prompts in advance of the session so that you can reflect on what you most want to share about Geneseo and this opportunity with our consultants.

If you are unable to attend this session a survey to solicit additional feedback will be sent to the campus community. We want to ensure that many voices are heard. You may also contact WittKieffer directly. 

Listening Session Schedule

SUNY Geneseo Community:

I am pleased to announce the members of the Presidential Search Committee. These individuals received their charge from Chancellor John B. King, Jr. today and are ready to begin the important work of helping the Chancellor and SUNY Board of Trustees select our next president. 

I want to thank each committee member for their service. While our work has just begun, it is already quite evident how deeply these individuals care about Geneseo and the people who make this College such a wonderful place to study, work, and call home. I am confident that they will be thoughtful, enthusiastic representatives of their constituent groups driven by a shared aim to identify the best individual to serve as Geneseo’s 14th president.

With gratitude,
Chrisitian

I write to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who participated in the Presidential Search Listening Sessions hosted throughout the week by WittKieffer. I was able to attend many of the sessions and was heartened by the thoughtful candor of each discussion. I continue to be impressed by all of the stakeholder groups’ passion for Geneseo and continued desire to celebrate the College’s strengths, but also to identify areas that still need improvement for the betterment of all those connected with the College.

If you could not attend a listening session, or if you attended but have additional thoughts you wish to share with our search consultants at WittKieffer, I invite you to respond to this survey. The survey will be open through Friday, March 14. The link will also be posted on the Presidential Search webpage. Our consultants will finalize the position profile in the next week, drawing from the themes that emerged through the listening sessions and the survey. 

Again, please accept my appreciation for your continued engagement in this search.

Respectfully,
Christian Valentino, Esq. ‘95

Geneseo Community:

I am happy to share that the job ad and leadership profile are live on the WittKieffer site, and candidate recruitment is underway. Please share this opportunity within your personal and professional networks and continue to recommend qualified candidates to WittKieffer. 

Respectfully,

Christian Valentino, Esq. ‘95

Dear Geneseo Community,

I am pleased to share that last week the Presidential Search Committee convened for its second meeting to receive updates on the search from our partners at WittKieffer and to continue discussing the input we received from the campus community about what will be needed in our next president. I want to thank everyone in our community again for the input you provided – through the 12 listening sessions, the community survey, and through our presidential search email address. Your generous input will ensure that the Committee understands your needs and hopes for the future and that we will forward a strong set of finalists for the Council's consideration and ultimately, for Chancellor King's selection. Thank you!

At our meeting, we heard from our search partners at WittKieffer that interest in our position is strong! Our consultants are encouraged by the outpouring of early interest they have received, and they are hard at work screening potential applicants for the Committee's consideration. Everything we know and love about Geneseo is well-regarded in the marketplace, and we are confident that we will have a strong pool of exceptional, diverse candidates to interview in the coming weeks. If you know someone who would make a great Geneseo president, please email our consultants with their name and contact information at GeneseoPresident@wittkieffer.com.

Our early candidates are expressing appreciation for the representational style of search we have adopted. To that end, we are working now to define the representative groups of individuals who will be invited to participate in the late stages of the search. The Search Committee has provided helpful input on these topics, and I will update the community soon.

Thanks for all you do for this great college!

Christian Valentino, Esq. '95

Dear Geneseo Campus Community,

As you know, the Presidential Search Committee adopted a very aggressive timeline for our presidential search. Our search firm partners at WittKieffer have been in the marketplace for six weeks, energetically recruiting a large and growing pool of candidates for the Committee's consideration. 

This outreach has occurred during the busiest time of the Spring semester and a tumultuous time for higher education in general. While we are pleased that so many good candidates have already applied, we have come to believe that, if we extend the recruiting window, we can attract some additional compelling candidates. This ensures that Geneseo will have as good an opportunity as possible of identifying and recruiting a great next president as President Battles' successor. Please feel free to continue nominating potential candidates. 

Finally, we are grateful to President Battles, who agreed to Chancellor King's request to continue her service through the summer, providing continuity during a fluid time in higher education.

Thank you again for your continued commitment to this process and Geneseo. We will be sharing an updated timeline very soon.

Respectfully,

Christian Valentino, Esq ‘95

Dear Members of the Geneseo Community,

I write today with deep appreciation and a hopeful spirit to share an important milestone in our presidential search process. The on-campus interviews for our semi-finalist candidates have now concluded. This phase of the search has been both inspiring and energizing, and I am grateful for the thoughtful engagement of our campus community throughout.

I extend my heartfelt thanks to the members of the Presidential Search Committee for their tireless dedication, discernment, and integrity throughout this process. Their commitment to Geneseo’s mission and future has been unwavering.

I am also deeply grateful to the many stakeholder groups (faculty, staff, and students) who participated in the interviews and provided valuable feedback, especially during the summer months. I am particularly grateful that employee participation extended across every division, and included representatives from collective bargaining and shared governance. Your voices have been essential in shaping this process and ensuring that it reflects the values and aspirations of our college.

Behind the scenes, many individuals and teams worked diligently to ensure that Geneseo put its best foot forward. I want to acknowledge the outstanding efforts of our colleagues in Facilities, Grounds, Campus Auxiliary Services, CIT, Milne Library, and Campus Scheduling. Your professionalism, hospitality, and attention to detail made a lasting impression on our candidates and exemplified the ethos of Geneseo.

As we move forward, the search process now advances to the SUNY Chancellor and the Board of Trustees for final consideration. I remain confident that this collaborative and inclusive process will lead us to a leader who will guide Geneseo with vision and a deep commitment to our shared values as a public liberal arts honors college.

Thank you once again for your engagement, support, and pride in our college. Together, we are shaping a bright future for Geneseo.

With gratitude,

Christian Valentino, Esq. ‘95