Lone Star College System gathers input in search for chancellor as Carpenter's retirement approaches

With Lone Star College Chancellor Richard Carpenter planning to step down at the end of the 2013–14 school year, the search is on to find the next chancellor.

The college system appointed a search committee composed of three members of the board of trustees—Robert Adam, Priscilla Kelly and Ron Trowbridge—to develop the position profile and establish the qualifications sought for the next chancellor. In March, the committee selected search firm Gold Hill Associates from a pool of nine firms to assist in the search process.

"The committee went through a series of proposals and selected from a highly competitive field what we believe is the best search firm," Trowbridge said at an April 3 meeting of the board of trustees. "We met [April 3], and I can tell you [they] are hitting on all eight spark plugs."

Between April 1–3, Gold Hill held open forums at each of the six LSCS campuses to gather input from faculty, staff and students, officials said. That input as well as a series of interviews with the search committee will be used to narrow down the field of applicants to a group of finalists in May.

Once finalists are selected, they will participate in another series of forums open to faculty, staff and the public. The committee will eventually recommend a finalist to the board, which will call a special board meeting to announce when a candidate is chosen.

Carpenter, who announced his retirement Feb. 7, was honored as chancellor emeritus at the April 3 meeting.

Meetings

Lone Star College

5000 Research Forest Drive,

The Woodlands 832-813-6521

www.lonestar.edu

May 1: Meetings are typically the first Thursday of the month at 5 p.m.