March 07, 2022

When It Comes To Big-Time College Sports, Penn State’s New President Has Walked Through The Fire Before-Two Trustees Take Us Behind The Scenes

36 minutes

Today, more than ever, it is crucial for colleges and universities to hire the right leaders for the right moment in time. Higher Education is facing many complex challenges, and finding the person to lead your campus through the next 5-10 years (or longer) may be one of the top responsibilities for members of Boards of Trustees.

In December 2021, the Trustees announced the selection of Neeli Bendapudi, currently the President at the University of Louisville, as the next President at Penn State University. She will assume the role from Eric Barron at the end of the Spring 2022 semester.

There are many good reasons why understanding how a President is selected is so important. First, those who lead the process are important fiduciaries of the University. Secondly, Penn State underwent a large, inclusive listening process involving many constituencies, including James Franklin, the head football coach. I’m joined today by two members of the Pennsylvania State University Board of Trustees, who each played important, yet different roles in the search process of locating and hiring their new President. The search culminates a months long process of the committee, search firm and other key players working collaboratively to arrive at this moment. We also talk about the new Board Task Force on Intercollegiate Athletics, and the important topics they are wrestling with this year.

My guests today are David Kleppinger, vice chair of the Board of Trustees (search committee co-chair) and Barbara Doran, trustee, two of the 19 Board members entrusted with this important task. The search was also aided by SpencerStuart, an executive search firm. As much as they are allowed to, they will share the process of looking for a great fit in a President.

My article for Forbes expands on the conversation.

(Full disclosure, I was an athletics director at Penn State Abington from 2006-2012).

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