Dear Ithaca College Community,
I am pleased to share that the search for Ithaca College’s next president is officially underway.
Over the past several weeks, the Presidential Search Committee and WittKieffer have completed an extensive listening process involving faculty, staff, students, members of the Board of Trustees, alumni, and members of the administration. The perspectives, priorities, and aspirations shared through those conversations, along with survey feedback, directly informed the creation of the presidential leadership profile. We encourage you to review the leadership profile, (available through the Ithaca Presidential Search and WittKieffer websites) which describes the opportunities, expectations, qualifications, and qualities that will guide the search, reflections of the critical conversations that have taken place.
I am deeply grateful to everyone who participated in the listening sessions and shared thoughtful input. We also want to recognize the members of the Presidential Search Committee for their work in bringing this important phase of the search to fruition and for representing the perspectives of the Ithaca College community throughout the process.
With the leadership profile complete, the search has moved into active recruitment. WittKieffer has already begun recruiting and is in conversation with interested candidates. Over the next two months, the WittKieffer team will continue to actively engage talented leaders whose experience and aspirations could make them compelling candidates for Ithaca College’s presidency.
Following the recruitment period, the committee will begin the demanding and rewarding work of assessing the candidate pool and determining which individuals will advance to first-round interviews. This next phase will require thoughtful consideration of candidates in relation to the priorities articulated by the Ithaca College community and reflected in the leadership profile.
The priority deadline for candidate materials is October 29, 2026. WittKieffer and the Presidential Search Committee welcome your nominations of talented leaders for consideration using the nomination form. You may also contact our search partners at WittKieffer via this email address: Ithaca-President@WittKieffer.com.
Thank you again for your thoughtful engagement thus far. I look forward to keeping you informed as the process moves ahead.
Chris Palmieri
Chair, Presidential Search Committee
Vice Chair, Board of Trustees