Members of CU Denver chancellor search committee announced

A 14-member search committee tasked with identifying the next chancellor of CU Denver was announced Monday by CU President Mark Kennedy, who will give the committee its charge when it meets for the first time Friday.

“It is a strong and diverse committee and I appreciate all the input received to get us to this point,” Kennedy said. “I received and reviewed nominations from members of campus governance groups, the alumni organization, the campus community and the external community.”

The next chancellor will succeed Chancellor Dorothy Horrell, who has served in the post since January 2016. She announced in September her intent to step down in June 2020.

“I appreciate Chancellor Horrell’s ongoing leadership as we make the transition,” Kennedy said. “I am confident we have an excellent search committee and that we will be successful in finding the next great leader to continue the momentum of the CU Denver campus.”

The committee comprises 14 members of the CU Denver community, internally and externally. In addition to the membership required by Regent policy 3(E), Kennedy added a graduate student, two additional staff members and three alumni/community members. The committee includes tenure-track and non-tenure-track faculty. There are representatives from every school and college and at least one nominee from each campus governance group.

The committee members are:

• Chair: Venkat Reddy, UCCS chancellor
• Dean representative: Pam Jasma, CU Denver, dean and professor of geography and environmental sciences, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Faculty representatives: Carlos Hipolito-Delgado, associate professor, School of Education and Human Development | Counseling, CU Denver; Stephanie Santorico, professor and director of statistical programs, co-director of graduate programs for the Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, CU Denver; Vivian Shyu, associate professor, clinical teaching track, Department of Psychology, CU Denver
• Staff representatives: Laurie Baefsky, associate dean of research of strategic partnerships, College of Arts and Media, CU Denver; Celina Duran, director of financial analysis, Office of the President, CU system; Natalie Yslas, operation services admission specialist, Office of Undergraduate Admissions K-12 Outreach, CU Denver
• Student representatives: Daniel Casillas, undergraduate student, biology, CU Denver; Kai Eldredge, graduate student, architecture, CU Denver
• Alumni/community representatives: Chris Herndon, Denver City Council, District 8, CU Denver alumni, MPA; Gary Meggison, construction adviser, CU Denver alumni, CU Foundation Board of Directors member; Patty Imhoff, managing partner, Katherine Grace Investments LLC, CU Denver alumni, MBA; Dan Lewis, executive director, Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation, chair, CU Denver Business School Board of Advisers
• Search Committee staff: Leonard Dinegar, search administrator, senior vice president and chief of staff, Office of the President, CU system; Kathy Nesbitt, vice president, employee and information services, Office of the President, CU system; Regina Kilkenny, chief of staff, Office of the Chancellor, CU Denver

The chancellor search website has details on the search committee members, information on the search firm, an online survey soliciting input on desired traits for the next chancellor, and directions on how to nominate someone for the position.

After Friday’s first search committee meeting at CU Denver, UCCS Chancellor Venkat Reddy, chair of the committee, and members of Parker Executive Search will meet with key campus constituent groups to continue to gather insight about the characteristics and experiences desired of the next chancellor.

“We have a great committee and I’m looking forward to a successful outcome from the search. I will be providing updates to the CU Denver campus community as this search progresses,” Reddy said. “Both President Kennedy and I are committed to giving ample opportunities for stakeholders to provide input on this important process.”

The chancellor search website allows stakeholders to provide input or ask questions, to complete an online survey about the uniqueness of the campus and desired attributes of candidates, and to nominate candidates.

Members of the CU Denver community are encouraged to attend events to meet finalists during the campus visit portion of the process.