Dr. Auguste E. Rimpel, Jr., chair of the University of the Virgin Islands Board of Trustees, has indicated that the Executive Committee of the Board has approved a Presidential Search Committee. The Search Committee includes representatives from a number of stakeholder groups in addition to members of the UVI Board of Trustees.

The term of office of Dr. LaVerne E. Ragster, the fourth president of the University of the Virgin Islands, will expire in 2009. The University of the Virgin Islands Board of Trustees has retained Isaacson Miller, a leading national executive search firm, to assist the University in the search for a new president.

On behalf of the Board, the Search Committee will work with Isaacson, Miller in the coming months to develop and implement a networking plan to recruit a first-rate pool of candidates for the position, evaluate a list of identified candidates, and present a short list of suitable candidates to the Board of Trustees for their final selection.

The first meeting of the Search Committee was held on April 28, 2008 to orient members to the process. Its first charge was to assist the Board with developing and refining what the University is looking for in a President. A first draft of such a document was prepared by the search consultants based on discussion with the Board and inputs from their meetings with various University constituents in March 2008. They will also develop an announcement for the position, which will be published locally and nationally.

The members of the Search Committee include the following persons:

• Attorney Henry C. Smock, Co-Chair -- Board Member
  
• Dr. Wesley S. Williams, Jr., Co-Chair -- Board Member
  
• Mr. Alexander Moorhead -- Board Member
  
• Mr. Roy D. Jackson -- Board Member
  
• Attorney Debra S. Watlington -- Board Member and Chair Board of Education
  
• Ms. Juanita M. Woods -- Board Member
  
• Dr. Ededet Iniama -- Faculty Board Member
  
• Mr. Dwayne Petersen -- Student Board Member
  
• Ms. Deanna Rogers -- Alumni Board Member
  
• Mrs. Miriam Osborne-Elliott -- Staff Council, UVI
  
• Mr. Edward Thomas -- Member, Foundation for the
  
• University of the Virgin Islands
  
• Mrs. Trudie Prior -- St. Thomas Community Member
  
• Mr. Donald Sussman -- St. John Community Member
  
• Mr. Daryl Brow -- St. Croix Community Member
  
• Dr. Auguste E. Rimpel, Jr., Board Chair, ex-officio
  

To obtain information about the UVI Presidential Search process, please contact Gail Steele at 693-1008.