Chairman of Pace University’s Board of Trustees Mark M. Besca announced last Thursday in an email to the Pace community that the Board is preparing to begin the search for a new university president after incumbent Stephen J. Friedman announced he would not seek reappointment once his current term ends on June 30, 2017.

Open forums to discuss the way forward in Pace’s search for a new president will be held on Tue., March 15 at Butcher Suite in Kessel Student Center. There will be three sessions: one for staff and administrators from 9 to 9:50 a.m., one for faculty from 10 to 10:50 a.m., and one for students from 11 to 11:50 a.m.

Besca said two associates from Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates, an “executive search firm specializing in higher education executive recruitment for colleges and universities,” will be present at the open forums to meet with students, faculty, and staff.

“We are interested in hearing your views on questions such as: How would you like to see Pace develop in the next 7-10 years?” Besca’s email read. “What would interest someone in becoming the President and what challenges would he or she face? What kind of leader are we looking for in terms of personal qualities and professional qualifications?”

He said the firm would assist Pace in the search process. He also said the firm has worked before with institutions like Adelphi, Brandeis, the University of Pittsburgh, and Carnegie Mellon.

Besca said in the email he is “currently appointing a Presidential Search Committee with faculty, student, trustee, and administrative representation that will advise [him] and the Board” regarding the election of the new president.

He named Vice Chairman of the Board Richard Zannino as chair of the Search Committee, and said the membership of the committee would be announced “as soon it has been finalized.”

Besca told those unable to attend the open forums to “feel free to contact Storbeck/Pimentel with any ideas or thoughts you may have by writing to [email protected].”