Presidential Transition
Houghton College has embarked on a national search for a new president.
Search Committee
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John Lee
Co-Chair, Board Chair -
Carrie Whitcher
Co-Chair, Board Member -
Ross Atherton '21
President, Student Government Association -
Dan Bates '98
Board Member, Chair of Enrollment Committee -
Julian Cook '13
Director, Houghton College Buffalo East Side -
Tim Deckert '95
Alumni Board President -
Sarah Derck
Faculty Chair of Biblical Studies, Theology, Philosophy -
Scott Flanagan
Academic Search -
Russ Gunsalus
Executive Director of Education and Clergy Development, The Wesleyan Church -
Patrick Hager
Staff Cabinet Vice President and Coach, Cross-Country/Track -
Joey Jennings '86
Board Member, Board Secretary -
Kevin Knowlton '79
Board Member, Chair of Advancement Committee -
Nuk Kongkaw '11
Staff Director of Mosaic Center -
Gary Larder '62
Board Member, Chair of Finance Committee -
J. Anthony Lloyd '79
Board Member, Chair of Academic Committee -
Peter Meilaender
Faculty Chair of History and Political Science -
John Oden '08
Executive Director of Advancement -
Betsy Sanford
President's Office -
Terry Slye '79
Board Member, Vice Chair of Board -
Sunshine Sullivan
Faculty Chair of Education -
Ruth Woodworth
Board Member, Chair of Student Life Committee
President Shirley Mullen Announces Retirement
In an announcement on October 20, 2020, to the Board of Trustees and college community, Dr. Shirley Mullen shared her intention to complete her fifteen-year tenure as President of Houghton College at the conclusion of the 2020-2021 academic year. Read more…
Have Questions?
The Search and Transition teams will continue to inform the community as appropriate of the ongoing developments in the presidential search. See below for answers to the most commonly asked questions or ask your own.
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The Search Committee was selected with great care in order to create a well-balanced perspective from all of Houghton’s constituencies.
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- Pre-search and launch: Through mid-November
- Recruitment: November – February
- Screening, references, interviews: February – March
- Selection, announcement: March – April
- Transition: April – May
- Result: Next runner is ready to receive the baton and sprint
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The Board of Trustees holds the responsibility of hiring the president according to the College By-laws. The Board recognizes and values the insight of all key stakeholders of our college community in the search process. This critical role is reflected in the composition of the Search Committee, which is charged with presenting the Board with a recommended slate of the best-qualified candidates for their consideration.
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This webpage serves as the central hub for information related to the presidential search process. Each member of the Search Committee and the support staff have signed a confidentiality agreement and as a result, they cannot answer questions about the search process. All public information is available on the website.
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- Michael Blankenship ’10
Director of Marketing and Communication - Debra (McKay ’76) Canfield
Board Member, Co-Chair of Transition Committee - Akash Desai ’01
Board Member - Phyllis Gaerte
Executive Director of Alumni and Community Engagement - John Gillette ’76
Board Member - John Lee
Board Chair, Co-Chair of Transition Committee - Harriett Olson ’80
Board Member - Betsy Sanford
President’s Office - Karl Sisson
VP for Advancement and External Engagement
- Michael Blankenship ’10