Presidential Search News

Presidential Search Committee work advancing; Jon McRae and Associates firm working with college

With an interim president in place at Tusculum College, the formal search for a permanent new president is moving along steadily, with a multi-faceted committee at work and an experienced Atlanta-based consulting and search firm engaged to spearhead the process.

Jon McRae and Associates, Inc., Atlanta, was selected by the Tusculum College Presidential Search Committee during the summer to locate suitable candidates for the presidency of Tennessee's oldest college. The previous president was Dr. Dolphus E. Henry, who left the college in the spring. Dr. Russell Nichols, retired president of Indiana's Hanover College, is the interim president of Tusculum.

Jon McRae, president and founder of the firm, recently visited the Tusculum campuses in Greeneville and Knoxville and conferred with faculty and staff members regarding their perceptions of the kind of individual the next president of the college should be to work effectively at Tusculum. Since then the firm has developed an "opportunity profile" brochure about the college to be shared with prospective candidates, and has maintained communication with college leaders day to day.

Many of the comments from faculty and staff to McRae focused on the need for the next Tusculum College president to be a strong internal communicator, an active community citizen, and a highly visionary individual with leadership and fund-raising skills.

The search committee has used teleconferencing in its meetings because the membership is geographically diverse. Chairing the body is Dr. Ken Bowman '70, who also chairs the college's Board of Trustees. He lives in Pennsylvania.

In addition to Bowman, other committee members are:

  • George Collins, director of Museum Program and Studies at Tusculum College
  • Landree Brotherton, SGA Vice President
  • Duane Randolph, SGA President
  • Judy Domer '61, Tusculum College Alumni Association President
  • Dr. Kim Estep, Tusculum College Provost and Academic Vice President
  • Steve Gehret, Tusculum College CFO and Vice President for Finance
  • Dr. Don Henard, retired physician, community leader and Tusculum Trustee
  • Dr. Ed Kormondy '51, Tusculum College Trustee Vice Chairman
  • Dr. Russell Nichols, Tusculum Interim President
  • Dr. Scott M. Niswonger '87 H'06, business leader and Tusculum Trustee
  • Dr. Bob Davis, Tusculum Professor of Biology
  • Dr. Cheri Jones, Assistant Professor of Management
  • Miles Burdine, Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce Chairman/CEO and Tusculum Trustee
  • John Foster, City of Tusculum Mayor
  • Don Raber, Kingsport business leader and Tusculum Trustee

Advisors to the Presidential Search Committee are:

  • Dr. Ed Kormondy '51, retired Chancellor Emeritus and professor of biology at the University of Hawaii-Hilo and the University of Hawaii-West Oahu and Tusculum College Trustee Vice Chairman
  • Dr. Russell Nichols, Tusculum College Interim President
  • Dr. Angelo Volpe, Tennessee Technological University President Emeritus and Tusculum Trustee

The committee membership was established to reflect a cross-section of faculty, staff, administration and trustees of Tusculum College, as well as alumni of the college and representative leaders of the college's surrounding community.

The search process is expected to take about a year.