Chancellor search update of April 26, 2023 - Finalists and Open Forum Schedule

Chancellor search update of March 25, 2023

I’m pleased to report that the Chancellor Search Committee met last week to select a group of candidates to invite to an interview for the position. On Friday, our consultants informed us all the invited candidates accepted the invitation. As a result, semi-finalist interviews will take place next month, and we remain on track to have the Board of Trustees select the district’s next leader by mid-June. 

Staying on track means that on or about April 26, we’ll share the names of the finalists to be Foothill-De Anza’s next chancellor. Public forums for our campus communities to meet the finalists are planned for the week of May 1.

I want to express my sincere gratitude to AGB Search consultants Dr. Kim Bobby and Dr. Jeanne Jones and all of the members of the search committee for their hard work and dedication.

I look forward to seeing you at the candidate forums.

Regards, 

Patrick J. Ahrens, President
Board of Trustees

Chancellor search update of March 9, 2023

I am writing today to update you on the progress of our search for the next chancellor and to ask for your continued help in encouraging prospective candidates to apply by tomorrow’s deadline. 

On February 21, the Chancellor Search Committee participated in an anti-bias workshop. In addition, during and following the meeting, committee members finalized a candidate assessment form being used to ensure that written candidate applications are evaluated by a common and clear set of criteria and developed questions based on the search profile for use in semi-finalist interviews. 

The committee is currently in the process of reviewing applicant files and will meet again on March 21 to determine which candidates will be invited to interview. 

The search profile, which describes the qualifications and qualities we are seeking in the next chancellor, is available here:  https://www.fhda.edu/chancellorsearch/. We will continue to accept applications after March 10, but for full consideration, applications should be received by that date. Please forward the names of persons who might provide strong and effective leadership for Foothill-De Anza to search consultants Dr. Kim Bobby kim.bobby@agbsearch.com or Dr. Jeanne Jacobs jeanne.jacobs@agbsearch.com. Any information you provide will be treated as strictly confidential.  

Thank you for your continuing interest in and support of this important process. Another update will be shared following the search committee meeting later this month. 

Regards,  

Patrick J. Ahrens, President
Board of Trustees

Chancellor search process update of Dec. 13, 2022

I am pleased to announce that at last night’s meeting, the Board of Trustees approved the profile to be used during the search for Foothill-De Anza Community College District’s next chancellor.  

The search profile was developed with input from trustees, faculty, staff, students, and the community solicited through open forums, a survey, and meetings with district and campus leaders at the end of October. The comments and observations collected were helpful in identifying common themes that describe what we, as a community, expect from the next chancellor and see as top priorities going forward. 

The Chancellor Search Committee, chaired by trustee Peter Landsberger, includes governing board, community, faculty, classified, administrative, and student representatives. The committee met in November and December to discuss the search process, review the committee charge and ground rules, adopt a schedule and timetable for the search, and review the chancellor search profile, focusing on the challenges and opportunities the next chancellor will face, expectations, required and preferred qualifications, and desired attributes. 

The search will officially launch on Jan. 9, and our AGB Search consultants will focus on building the candidate pool from Jan. 9 through March 10. The search committee is scheduled to conduct semifinalist interviews April 20 and 21, and the Board of Trustees will invite finalists for interviews the week of May 1.  

The search committee believes that the involvement and support of the Foothill-De Anza community is key to a successful search. When the search goes public on Jan. 9, we hope that you will review the search profile and forward the names of potential nominators and/or candidates to Foothill-DeAnzachancellor@agbsearch.com or to AGB Search consultants Kim Bobby at kim.bobby@agbsearch.com or Jeanne Jacobs at Jeanne.jacobs@agbsearch.com. 

I will send another update on the progress of the search following the committee’s Feb. 21 meeting. Thank you in advance for your support and your engagement in this important process. 

Regards,  

Chancellor search update of Oct. 18, 2022

The Board of Trustees has officially announced the search for our next chancellor. We are committed to conducting an equitable, inclusive, and transparent national search that will attract a strong pool of outstanding candidates.  

I am pleased to inform you that we have selected AGB Search to assist us with the chancellor search process. AGB has conducted more than 1,000 searches in the U.S. and internationally and brings a wealth of information and expertise to our process. The consultants working directly with us will be Dr. Kim Bobby, who previously served as director of the Inclusive Excellence Group at the American Council of Education, and Dr. Jeanne Foster Jacobs, who served as president and CEO of Miami Dade College’s Homestead campus for 15 years prior to joining AGB. 

As part of the process, we invite you to join Anu Khanna, senior advisor to the chancellor for reimagining Foothill-De Anza, at one of the open forums listed below to help develop the chancellor search profile. The profile is a critical tool for recruiting and evaluating candidates, and we would like to hear your thoughts about the challenges and opportunities facing the district and the ideal characteristics you would like to see in our new chancellor. In considering your responses, it may be helpful to read parts 1 and 2 of the Aspen Institute’s “Crisis in Opportunity:  Aligning the Community College Presidency with Student Success.”  

Chancellor search profile open forums 

• Tuesday, Oct. 25, from 1:30-2:30 p.m. via Zoom (Meeting ID: 841 7165 0582/Passcode: 558892) 
• Wednesday, Oct. 26, from 4:30-5:30 p.m. via Zoom (Meeting ID: 889 8007 0512/Passcode: 006664) 
• Thursday, Oct. 27, from 9:30-10:30 a.m. via Zoom (Meeting ID: 838 2202 0055/Passcode: 579416)
  

If you are unable to attend one of the open forums, we invite you to share thoughts about the profile via a short, anonymous survey prepared by AGB Search. Responses are due by 5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 27.  

We are in the process of forming the search committee, which will include governing board, faculty, classified, student and community representatives. Nominations are due from constituencies by Oct. 24, and the committee will be confirmed at the Nov. 7 Board of Trustees meeting. 

The board and I appreciate your contributions to helping us select a chancellor who will continue the great work of the district. 

Regards,