After more than 20 years of dedicated service to BSM, Dr. Bob Tift announced last May that he would be resigning from his position as president at the end of the 2013-14 school year. Former BSM Board Chair Barb Melsen has been appointed head of the Presidential Search Committee, the primary group charged with finding Dr. Tift’s replacement.

Part of a president’s responsibilities include sharing BSM’s mission with all constituents, including faculty and students, putting the 2020 strategic plan into effect, and acting as the central spokesperson for BSM. “The President is the one who meets with and inspires donors to invest in the school so we can continue to be financially sound and provide the high quality of education we always have,” Mr. Tom Backen, English Department Chair, who sits on the committee, said.

The process for discovering the ideal candidate for the next president of BSM extends outside of the BSM administration. The school hired Chandler Group Executive Search to find five to eight candidates fitting a profile the BSM community wants in a new president. The search committee then extensively interviews these applicants, narrowing down the possibilities to two or three contenders. After another round of interviews, the search committee presents a final list to the BSM Board of Directors, who must approve the ultimate decision. The search will begin in mid-October, and the goal is to hire a new president by July 1, 2014.

Additional members of the committee include Board member Archie Black, past Board Chair Rodney Jordan, current Board Chair Sheila Letscher, Board member and pastor of Church of St. Thomas the Apostle in Minneapolis Father Michael Reding, and past Board chair and current trustee of St. Catherine University Lois Gross Rodgers. “The search committee takes their job very seriously and is intent on finding the very best person to lead BSM,” Melsen said.