President Gary Kachanoski will finish up his second term at the helm of Memorial University six months earlier than originally planned.
The university’s Board of Regents has agreed to Dr. Kachanoski’s request to conclude his second five-year term in December 2019 instead of June 2020. As a result of this change to the president’s term, the Board of Regents has also decided to initiate its process to search for Memorial’s next president.
Iris Petten, chair of the university’s governing board, made the announcement following a special meeting of the Regents earlier today.
“I have been privileged and honoured to serve as the president of this great university.”
Ms. Petten thanked Dr. Kachanoski for his continuing leadership of the university as president and vice-chancellor since 2010.
“Gary Kachanoski has provided exceptional leadership to Memorial University,” Ms. Petten said. “His visionary approach to delivering on the university’s commitments to our province and his tremendous financial planning acumen are extraordinary. By the time his terms ends in 2019, he will have led our university successfully through almost 10 years that have been both invigorating and challenging.”
Dr. Kachanoski said that setting the revised end date is the right timing for him personally and the right thing for Memorial strategically.
“I have been privileged and honoured to serve as the president of this great university,” he said. “Ever since I was recruited back in November 2009, I have been doing my best to help realize the many aspirations that people have for this university.
“I am deeply grateful to the Regents, university leaders and colleagues throughout the university community for their collaboration and commitment to advancing the institution, as well as to alumni, government, donors and community leaders for their support. Together we’ve been able to make great progress on many fronts.
“I believe it is the right time now for the university to engage with our internal and external communities in a collegial and consultative presidential search process. A presidential search is a normal renewal activity that prompts the university and the wider community to consider the university’s future. It is an important time of reflection, renewal and consideration of the university’s vision and mission.”
After the presidency, he plans to take up his role as a professor at Memorial. “My wife Teresa and I will continue to make our home in this province, which is such a welcoming and stimulating place to live and work.”
Ms. Petten noted that the university will formally recognize Dr. Kachanoski’s many contributions closer to the end of his term.
Next steps
The presidential search process will commence at the board’s next regular meeting on Oct. 3. The process is expected to take 12-14 months to complete.
“We had been planning to get the search process underway in January 2019,” Ms. Petten said. “But now we’ll move up the schedule a few months to ensure that we have plenty of time to recruit the best possible candidate to lead the university in the next decade. Having a new president recruited by late fall 2019 will align well with the university’s planning and budget cycles.”
Presidential searches at Memorial typically involve selecting a search committee with diverse representation that conducts considerable community consultation, identifying the opportunities and challenges facing the institution and developing the position profile for the role of president and vice-chancellor.
The search process will be guided by the board’s Presidential Search, Appointment and Assessment Policy available on the web page of the Board of Regents.
The biography and employment contracts of the university’s president are available on the webpage of the Office of the President.
