Search Committee members

James Tidwell, chair

Monty Bennett

Jeff Cross

Cynthia Nichols

Mary Wallace

Heather Webb

Brenda Wilson

Dates of on-campus interviews

April 17:

Robert Miller

April 18:

Jennifer Palancia Shipp

April 19:

Brian Nelson

April 20:

Donald Amundson

General Counsel Candidates Interview Schedule

7:30 a.m.

Breakfast with the search committee

9 a.m.

Meet with the president

10 a.m.

Open session for campus

11 a.m.

Meet with the vice presidents

Noon

Lunch

1:30 p.m.

Open session for campus

2:30 p.m.

Meet with the search committee

The search for a new general counsel will bring the final four candidates to Eastern this week for on-campus interviews. Current general counsel, Joe Barron, announced his intent to retire last fall, and will end his tenure at Eastern July 1. The general counsel for a university oversees and handles all legal matters as well as advises administrators and faculty on any matters that have legal effects on the university. Additionally, the general counsel reports directly to the President of the university.He will be replaced by either Robert Miller, the associate director of Eastern’s office of civil rights; Jennifer Palancia Shipp, the associate university counsel at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro; Brian Nelson, the executive director and associate general counsel at the University of Houston or Donald Amundson, the associate general counsel at the University of Minnesota.”This was a very, very strong pool,” said James Tidwell, chair of the search committee and chair of the journalism department. “It was nationally advertised so we got candidates from virtually all over the country.”There were 45 applicants for the position.The four finalists will visit campus this week to meet with the president, vice presidents and campus community. There will be two open sessions for each candidate to be questioned by the campus in the Booth Library Seminar Room 3202. There will be an hour-long open session at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. for each candidate. Miller will visit campus Tuesday, Palancia Shipp will visit Wednesday, Nelson will visit Thursday and Amundson will visit Friday.  Tidwell encourages the campus to attend the open sessions for the candidates. Attendants will have a chance to fill out evaluations for each candidate, which will be considered by the search committee when it makes its final recommendation to the president.President Lou Hencken will choose who will replace Barron with the help of his successor, Eastern’s next president, Bill Perry. “I want somebody the new president will feel comfortable with,” Hencken said. Hencken works closely with Barron, and so Perry and the new university counsel will work closely as well.  Hencken said he wants to hire someone who has a good knowledge of the law, works well with other people and is willing to put in long hours. “This is not an 8 to 5 job,” Hencken said. He’s also looking for someone who can remain in the position for at least five-to-six years. Barron has been at Eastern since 2000 and plans to move to Texas once he retires. –The interview schedules and resume of the four finalists can be found by clicking here.