The search for the University of Arizona’s next president will be carried out by more than two dozen people, the Arizona Board of Regents announced Wednesday.

Regents announced 27 names of those who will make up the search committee charged with finding a replacement for President Ann Weaver Hart.

The group includes five regents and an array of educators and business and community leaders. Some are first-timers, while others, such as the UA alumni association and Pima Community College, are regular participants when the University does CEO searches.

β€œSelecting the next UA president is a responsibility the board takes with great pride and care,” regents board chair Greg Patterson of Scottsdale said in a statement announcing the new committee’s makeup.

The regents also have hired an executive search consulting firm from Dallas, R. William Funk and Associates, to help with the search.

Regents staffers, who announced the choice of search consultant last week, have yet to publicly disclose the cost of the firm’s services.

The search committee members are:

  • Mara G. Aspinall, president/CEO of GenePeecks & Health Catalysts.
  • Betsey Bayless, president emeritus, Maricopa Integrated Health System.
  • Charlie Bayless, retired Tucson Electric Power chairman/CEO.
  • Bruce Beach, chairman/CEO of BeachFleischman.
  • Greg Bryne, UA athletics director.
  • Melinda Burke, president
  • UA Alumni Association.
  • Vianney Careaga, student regent, Arizona Board of Regents
  • Erica L. Corral, associate professor, UA Materials Science and Engineering.
  • Karl Eller, chairman/CEO The Eller Co.
  • Jay Heiler, Arizona Board of Regents.
  • Eileen Klein, president of
  • Arizona Board of Regents.
  • Lee Lambert, chancellor Pima Community College.
  • Stephen Roe Lewis, governor Gila River Indian Community.
  • Oscar S. Lizardi, attorney, Rusing Lopez & Lizardi.
  • Dennis R. Minano, retired vice president General Motors.
  • Marc L. Miller, dean of James E. Rogers College of Law.
  • Lynn Nadel, UA psychology professor.
  • Sarah Netherton, former president of the UA Graduate and Professional Student Council.
  • Larry Penley, Arizona Board of Regents.
  • Tony Penn, president United Way of Tucson.
  • Robert Ramirez, president Vantage West Credit Union.
  • William Ridenour, Arizona Board of Regents.
  • Ron Shoopman, Arizona Board of Regents.
  • Dick Silverman, attorney at Jennings, Strouss and Salmon.
  • Jeff Stevens, CEO Western Refinery Inc.
  • Dawn Wallace, senior advisor to Gov. Doug Ducey.
  • Kendal Washington White, UA dean of students.

Burke and Eller were members of the regents’ search committee formed to find a new UA president in 2011, the last time the job was open.


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