Office of the President

Presidential Search

Message from the Board of Trustees

As Chair of the Board of Trustees, I wanted to provide you with an update on the search for Jacksonville University’s permanent president.

The Board of Trustees has appointed a representative search committee to conduct a national search and interview presidential candidates. The list of search committee members includes members of the Board of Trustees, Faculty, Staff, Student Government, and Jacksonville Community. The list of search committee members can be found below. The committee will be chaired by Paul Boyton. We would like to thank the committee members for agreeing to serve the university in this important endeavor.

The board has retained national executive search firm Isaacson, Miller (IM) to assist in the search process. IM has one of the most respected higher education executive search practices in the country and has placed presidents, provosts, and deans at many of the nation's leading colleges and universities. Kate Barry, a managing partner at the firm with extensive experience in presidential searches, will lead the IM team partnering with Jacksonville on this search. Keith Mason, a managing associate, and Kaitlin Cruz, a managing search coordinator, will join her.

We expect the search to conclude during the 2026-27 academic year, with the permanent president assuming the role on July 1, 2027. As the process begins, the IM team will consult broadly with faculty, staff, students, trustees, and other key stakeholders to hear your perspectives on the future of the University and the type of leader who can carry us forward, building on the significant work of the past 14 years. We will share additional updates with the campus community as the process moves forward.

To protect the confidentiality of all candidates and the integrity of the process, this will be a closed search. We will not share candidate names or details of the board’s deliberations. Questions about the search should be directed to Isaacson, Miller.

Thank you for all that you continue to do for Jacksonville University and our students.

Sincerely,

John Miller

Chair, Board of Trustees

Search Updates & Timeline

Timeline

1. Launch Meeting and Listening Sessions - Fall 2026

The IM search team will meet with faculty, staff, students, administration, trustees, and alumni to solicit input. These sessions will take place virtually.

The search committee and IM will hold a launch meeting to get acquainted with each other and discuss the nature of the search process, the role and responsibilities of committee members, the schedule, and how committee members would answer the listening session discussion questions.

2. Presidential Position Profile Review and Finalization - Fall 2026

The committee will review and finalize the position profile that will be developed by IM and confirm the search schedule. This is usually an email exercise.

3. 1^st Presentation: Mid-Course Review

IM will present potential candidates to the committee. Some of these people will have been screened by phone, and others may have been interviewed by video. The committee will also review lists of people contacted during IM’s networking.

4. 2^nd Presentation: Discussion & Selection of Semi‑Finalist Candidates - Winter 2026

IM will present to the committee candidates with whom they have had extensive virtual conversations. The committee will discuss the candidates and select a group of semi-finalists to interview confidentially. IM and the search chair will also initiate a discussion about semi-finalist interview logistics and interview topics.

5. Confidential Semi‑Finalist Interviews - Spring 2027

Confidential interviews will provide the committee with an opportunity to get to know the semi-finalists by extensively questioning and responding to each candidate. These will be conducted virtually via Zoom. At the end of the interviews, the committee will narrow the field of semi-finalists and determine which candidates will be recommended as finalists.

6. Finalist Interviews - Spring 2027

7. Welcoming the new President to Jacksonville University - Spring 2027

The committee will work with the Board to announce the new President and welcome them into the community.

Jacksonville University - Search for the President: Community Feedback Survey

Access the Survey

Search Committee for the President of Jacksonville University

Paul Boynton
Bart Darrell
John Donahoo
Barry Gleichenhaus
Dr. Timothy Groover ’87
John Miller
Matthew Kane ’01
Charlie Joseph
Lee Nimnicht ’90

Fonnie Baarmand
Dr. Matthew Corrigan
DaVina Hamilton ’09, ’13
Dr. Berta Christopher
Dr. David Hooper
Dr. Matthew Reiber
Dr. Daphne Wang
Judith Mannis ’69
Ryan Miller ’27
Dr. Tamara Caudill

Office of the President About Jacksonville University

Nestled on 235 acres of sweeping riverfront campus, with cutting-edge, market-responsive, academic offerings that make its graduates highly sought after across in-demand industries, combining big-school Division I sports pageantry and small-school experiential learning opportunities, Jacksonville University creates a student experience like no other.

About the Office of the President

Jacksonville University’s Office of the President consists of the highest level of administrative staff directly reporting to the president. The Office of the President has the responsibility of managing, developing, coordinating, and implementing the strategic initiatives, projects, and programs of the presidential level. Everything the Office of the President does is to enhance the culture of a student centric institution based primarily on serving the needs of the student while fostering the next generation of JU leaders.

Contact Information Office of the President

Howard Administration Building
Jacksonville University
2800 University Blvd N
Jacksonville, FL 32211

Phone: (904) 256-7016
Email: atp@ju.edu