Search committee for CU Denver chancellor announced
CU President Bruce Benson has announced the members of the search committee that’s charged with recruiting the next chancellor of the University of Colorado Denver.
As previously announced, CU-Boulder Chancellor Phil DiStefano is chairing the committee, which will have assistance from a national search firm. Such a committee is required by Board of Regents policy.
The committee consists of DiStefano and 19 others chosen from several constituencies at CU Denver, elsewhere across CU and the business, nonprofit and education communities beyond the university.
“The members of this committee represent a broad spectrum of contributions and service to CU and our state,” Benson said. “Their diverse perspectives and experiences will be invaluable as this team works to find a great chancellor to lead CU Denver. I’m confident they’ll do just that.”
The members of the CU Denver Chancellor Search Committee are:
- Phil DiStefano, CU-Boulder chancellor, chair
- Glen Gallegos, CU Board of Regents
- Rebecca Kantor, dean, School of Education and Human Development, CU Denver
- Joanne Addison, chair, Faculty Assembly; associate professor, English, CU Denver
- Lucy Dwight, senior instructor, School of Public Affairs, CU Denver
- Amy Dahlbach, executive assistant to the associate vice chancellor for the Office of Information Technology, CU Denver
- Scott Cao, president and chair, CU Denver Student Government Association
- Gedeon LaFarge, AIA, CU Denver alumnus
- Brenda Allen, professor of communication; associate vice chancellor, diversity and inclusion, CU Denver
- Dave Baker, First Bank president, CU Foundation trustee, CU Denver alumnus
- Maria Garcia Berry, Chief Executive Officer CRL Associates Inc.; member of the Board of Directors of the Auraria Higher Education Center
- Nancy Sharpe, Commissioner District 2, Arapahoe County Board
- Brian Vogt, Denver Botanic Gardens president and CEO
- Nate Easley, executive director of the Denver Scholarship Foundation, past Denver Public School Board president
- Jim Linfield, CU Foundation chair
- Virginia “Gin” Butler, ambassador, Forest City Stapleton; past chair of the Colorado Black Chamber of Commerce
- Theresa Pena, Colorado Community College System board member
- Diedra Garcia, CEO, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Denver
- Nolbert Chavez, lobbyist, former state legislator
- Rosemary Rodriguez, state director for Sen. Michael Bennet, Denver Board of Education member
Eyeing a target of July for having a new permanent chancellor in place at the downtown campus, the committee is scheduled to meet for the first time in early January. The first candidate interviews are anticipated for March, with three to five finalists to be named in April. Finalists would visit the campus shortly after.
Before the president makes a decision, he will consult with constituent groups and the Board of Regents.
The position became open in September when Benson announced that the CU Denver campus and the CU Anschutz Medical Campus would be led by separate chancellors going forward. At that time he named Don Elliman, who had been serving as chancellor of both campuses, chancellor for CU Anschutz. Benson also asked CU Denver Chancellor Emeritus Jerry Wartgow to return; he is leading the CU Denver campus on an interim basis until the new chancellor arrives.