YSU presidential candidates narrowed to three finalists

Trustees expect to vote on new president by June board meeting

Staff report

Youngstown

The search committee for Youngstown State Univer- sity’s next president is expected today to submit the names of three finalists to YSU trustees.

A special meeting of YSU trustees is set for 6 p.m.

Cynthia E. Anderson, president since 2010, announced in December that she would retire June 30, when her three-year contract expires.

After a national search that drew interest from 57 candidates, the 17-member search committee narrowed to eight a list of semifinalists. The panel interviewed those individuals last weekend in a hotel near Pittsburgh Inter- national Airport.

The three finalists are to visit campus either late this month or in early May, and trustees expect to vote on a new president by the June board meeting.

None of the semifinalists is working in Ohio, but two formerly worked at Ohio universities, including one at YSU.

William R. Decatur works as executive vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer at Rhode Island School of Design in Providence. He previously served as senior vice president for finance and administration at Ohio University and was a senior officer at the University of Toledo. He also was a finalist in 2010 for chief financial officer at the University of Akron.

Randy Dunn is the president of Murray State University in Murray, Ky., and formerly served as state superintendent for the Illinois Department of Education. Last month, the Murray State Board of Regents voted not to renew Dunn’s contract that expires next year. The decision has met opposition from Murray State’s Faculty Senate and Staff Congress.

Stacey Franklin Jones is corporate development senior adviser for Protech Global Solutions and DirectViz Solutions, both in Virginia. She had served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Bowie State University in Bowie, Md.

C. Jack Maynard, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, was a finalist for YSU president in 2010.

James E. McCollum is acting president of Millersville University of Pennsylvania and previously was executive director of the Inter-University Council of Ohio. From 1985 until 1996, he worked in various positions at YSU including assistant to the president.

James D. Moran III is vice chancellor for academic and student affairs for the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education in Harrisburg. He previously served as interim president at Edinboro University in Edinboro, Pa.

John F. Schwaller is president of the State University of New York at Potsdam in Potsdam, N.Y.

Gerard Voland is the provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Michigan-Flint.

Anderson has worked at YSU in a variety of positions since 1979. She served as vice president for student affairs before being named president.