Regents Chair Will Davis Announces Members Of Presidential Search Committee And Advisory Search Committee
Baylor University Board of Regents Chair Will Davis today announced the appointment of a Regent Presidential Search Committee charged with recommending a successor to President Robert B. Sloan Jr.
Sloan, who has served as Baylor's 12th president since June 1, 1995, announced on Jan. 21 that he and the board had mutually agreed to a transition whereby he would vacate the presidency on June 1 to assume the role of chancellor. The Board of Regents formalized that transition at its Feb. 4 meeting.
In consultation with board Vice Chair Jim Turner of Dallas, Davis has appointed Amarillo attorney W.H. Brian Jr. to chair the 11-member committee. Other regents who will serve on the search committee include Jay Allison of Frisco, Joe Armes of Dallas, Joe Coleman of Houston, Randy Ferguson of Austin, Phil Lineberger of Sugar Land, Drayton McLane of Temple, David Sibley of Waco, and Donell Teaff of Waco. Davis and Turner will also serve on the search committee.
Davis also announced the appointment of an Advisory Search Committee composed of faculty, alumni, staff, students and other Baylor constituents. It will be chaired by alumnus and former U.S. Ambassador to Sweden Lyndon Olson Jr. of Waco.
Other advisory committee members include Baylor Alumni Association President David Malone of Austin; Dr. Dianna M. Vitanza, Baylor Faculty Senate member and associate professor of English; Dr. Lynn Tatum, president of the Baylor chapter of the American Association of University Professors and senior lecturer in the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core and religion; Dr. Thomas S. Kidd, assistant professor of history; Dr. Clyde Glazener, pastor of Gambrell Street Baptist Church in Fort Worth and past president and chair of the Executive Board of the Baptist General Convention of Texas; Nathan Wacker, Baylor senior economics major from Sherman and chair of the Academic Affairs Committee of Student Congress; Dr. Wallace L. Daniel, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and the Ralph L. and Bessie Mae Lynn Professor of History; Dr. Kenneth Q. Carlile, chairman of the Baylor Foundation and Baylor alumnus from Marshall; and Trish Baum, administrative assistant in Academic Support Programs and chair of the Baylor Staff Council.
Davis said the first task of the Regent Presidential Search Committee will be to establish a search protocol and select a presidential search firm to help identify candidates. The first on-campus meeting will include the Regent committee, the advisory committee and a representative of the search firm. A date has not been set for that meeting.
"I want to publicly thank the individuals who have agreed to serve on these two committees," said Davis, an Austin attorney. "We will have the benefit of experienced, knowledgeable people who care deeply about Baylor and are representative of Baylor constituents to guide and advise the Board of Regents in its search for the University's next leader."