President Search Progress Report

September 26, 2024

To: The York College Community

From: Trustee Herminia Palacio, Ph.D. HP
Chair, York College Presidential Search Committee

Subject: President Search Progress Report

A nationwide search for the individual who will be the next President of York College is underway. Advertisements for the position have appeared in: Chronicle of Higher Education, The New York Times, Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, EdSurge, HigherEdJobs.com, Hispanic Outlook, Inside Higher Ed, Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, Women in Higher Education and other outlets.

The University has retained the search firm Isaacson, Miller to assist our Search Committee. Keight Tucker Kennedy and David Grimes are working with us on this effort and have been recruiting highly qualified candidates who may not respond to advertisements because they are either not actively seeking a new job, or they are concerned about confidentiality. Following a webinar led by Chancellor Félix Matos Rodríguez in March, the search consultants and CUNY Executive Search office staff met with various York constituent groups in late May. A leadership profile for the search was developed following these conversations and feedback collected through a survey fielded in the spring and summer.

Ms. Nyisha Howell and Dr. Lori Hoeffner (following Dana Trimboli’s recent departure from York) have been serving as the search liaisons and have assisted us with setting up the various meetings and collecting relevant data for the leadership profile.

We are confident that the College will attract a highly qualified pool of individuals. The Search Committee will be reviewing and vetting candidates over this fall semester. Committee members have been asked to pledge total confidentiality, consistent with the paramount need to protect the confidentiality of the individuals involved.

On behalf of the Search Committee, I want to thank those of you who already have contributed to the search process with your time and your advice.

Search Committee

The York College Presidential Search Committee members are:

Honorable Herminia Palacio
Search Committee Chairperson
Member, CUNY Board of Trustees

Linda Barley
Professor, Health and Human Performance, York College / CUNY

Nina Buxenbaum
Professor, Performing and Fine Arts, York College / CUNY

Dara N. Byrne
Dean, William E. Macaulay Honors College/ CUNY

Chris Hsu
Professor and Chair, Accounting and Finance, York College / CUNY

Dawn Kelly
Founder and CEO, The Nourish Spot Inc.
Friend of the College and Foundation Board Member

Honor Felipe Gray Marcellus
Student Representative, York College / CUNY

Brian D. Obergfell
Member, CUNY Board of Trustees

Marc V. Shaw
Former Member, CUNY Board of Trustees

Sherif Soliman
Senior Vice Chancellor for Budget & Finance and Chief Financial Officer
The City University of New York

Ray Warren
Founder, Warren Sports Advisory
Alumni Representative, York College / CUNY

Ellen Yegoryan
Student Representative, York College / CUNY