Message from the Search Committee Chair

Dear Faculty, Staff and Students:

The Board of Trustees is deeply grateful for the leadership of Dr. Rheault, who announced her retirement on March 25. Her vision and achievements will leave an indelible mark on the university. We look forward to celebrating her later this year.

As the Board embarks on its search for our next president, Dr. Rheault has graciously agreed to extend her tenure until new leadership is in place. As a dean and our first woman to serve as provost and president and CEO, Dr. Rheault has led growth and transformation across the university. She envisioned the establishment of the College of Nursing, workforce pathways and numerous academic programs, including Lifestyle Medicine and Population Health. She oversaw an expansion of philanthropic support, and renewed investment in research, technology and simulation, in addition to the development of a new campus master plan for a more sustainable future.

Her quest for improved coordination of care and health outcomes brought interprofessional education to our university. Today, RFU is nationally recognized for its excellence in this area. When the Mayo Clinic sought to implement IP, they called upon Dr. Rheault for help in charting their path forward.

The search for a new president is one of the most meaningful decisions that a board can make in support of a university’s mission. To ensure the success of this recruitment, the Board has formed a Presidential Search Committee, made up of trustees, faculty, alumni and staff who will lend their perspectives and guidance. The composition of this committee is:

• Lee Sacks, MD, Search Committee Chair
• Kristine Burgess, MS, PA-C, CLC
• Sonya Cooks, DNP, RN, CNE
• Kimberley Darey, MD, FACOG, CPE
• Bob Intine, PhD
• David Kalsbeek, PhD
• Sean Kane, PharmD
• Marty Manning, MM
• Karen Miller, PhD, RN, FAAN, FASAHP
• Matt Primack, PT, DPT, MBA
• Amiel Rosenkranz, PhD
• Ernest Vasseur, MTS
• Amber Woyak, MSEd

We are also partnering with the national executive search firm Spencer Stuart, which has served us well in previous searches for leadership positions across the university. Jean Mina, executive administrator in the Office of the President, will support this search, and Lee Concha, executive vice president for university strategies and chief of staff, will serve as the communications liaison.

In the coming weeks, Spencer Stuart will survey our campus community and alumni to invite feedback on the qualities and skills we should seek in our next president. The search committee will work with Spencer Stuart to conduct our search, which will be open to internal candidates. We will share more about that process with our university community in the coming weeks.

The Board of Trustees recognizes that identifying and naming the next leader of our university is one of our greatest responsibilities. Be assured that we are committed to a deliberative and thoughtful process.

Sincerely,

Lee Sacks, MD
Chair, Presidential Search Committee
RFU Board of Trustees