Presidential finalists announced

The CSU-Pueblo Presidential Search Advisory Committee has announced three finalists for the role of president.  The finalists will visit campus next week for interviews with students, faculty, staff and stakeholders.

The first finalist is Lesley Di Mare, the interim president and chief executive officer of Nevada State College in Henderson, Nev. She has previously held positions at Arizona State University and California State University-Los Angeles.  Di Mare will be on campus Sept. 11 and 12.

The second finalist is Michael Driscoll, the provost and executive chancellor at the University of Alaska in Anchorage, Ala.  He was previously at Portland State University.  Driscoll will be on campus Sept. 13 and 14.

The third finalist is Karla Hughes, the provost and vice president for academic affairs at Morehead State University in Morehead, Ky.  She has previously held positions at East Carolina University, Middle Tennessee State University, the University of Missouri and Kansas State University.  Hughes will visit campus Sept. 15 and 16.

“We’re pleased with the exceptional quality of the finalists we’ve identified through our comprehensive search process,” said Dorothy Horrell, chair of the CSU-Pueblo Presidential Search Advisory Committee and a member of the CSU System Board of Governors. “These campus visits are one of the most important steps in the evaluation process because they give us a real opportunity to see how candidates interact with students, faculty, staff and the public.

“The search committee will carefully consider input from campus and community constituents before we submit our recommendations to the Board of Governors,” Horrell said.

Each finalist will have a two-day campus visit.  The first day will feature a tour of Pueblo, an interview with CSU System Chancellor Joe Blake and an informal dinner with the PSAC.  Interviews with several campus groups will take place on the second day.  The interviews will take place in the Occhiato University Center.  The day will feature a structured schedule that allows for interaction with the campus community and other stakeholders.

The search for a permanent president began in November 2010, when previous president and Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia resigned.  Julio Leon has served as interim president ever since.  The 10-member search advisory committee has been involved in identifying potential candidates and is in charge of naming finalists to the CSU System Board of Governors, who will make the final decision.

For more information about the presidential search and the community interviews, contact Trisha Macias at 719-549-2951.