(Feb. 24, 2012) – The California State University Board of Trustees will begin the search next month for a new president of the California Maritime Academy to succeed President William B. Eisenhardt, who is retiring after serving as president of the university since 2001.

The first meeting of the search committee will be held in an open forum from 10 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, March 7 at the Rizza Auditorium on the Cal Maritime campus, followed by a closed meeting of the committee at 1 p.m. This is the only meeting of the committee that is an open meeting.

CSU Trustee Peter Mehas will chair the Trustees' Committee for the Selection of the President. The other trustee members of the selection committee include Steven Glazer, Bob Linscheid and Henry Mendoza, as well as Trustee Chair Herbert L. Carter and CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed.

Board policy requires the chair to appoint an advisory group to the trustees' committee. The Advisory Committee to the Trustees' Committee for the Selection of the President is composed of representatives of the faculty, students and alumni, as well as a member of the campus advisory board, all of whom are selected by the campus constituent groups. Also on the advisory committee is a vice president or academic dean from the campus, and a president of another CSU campus, both selected by the chancellor. Both committees function as one group.

Members of the Advisory Committee for the Selection of the President include: Kim Estes, chair, CSUM Industry Advisory Board; Erin Hannigan, vice mayor, City of Vallejo (community representative); Deborrah Hebert, dean of students, CMA; Michael Kazek, lecturer, Marine Engineering Technology, CSUM; Drew Kerlee, cadet 1/c, California Maritime Academy Corps of Cadets; Timothy Lynch, associate professor and chair, Maritime Policy and Management, CSUM; Leroy Morishita, president, CSU East Bay; Kenneth Passé (alumni representative); William Schmid, chair, Cal Maritime Academic Senate, CSUM; Peg Solveson, STCW coordinator, CSUMand Shellsea Stoughton, executive president, Cal Maritime Associated Students.

The purpose of the meeting in an open forum is to review the role of the committee, receive comments and input from the public and campus community, explain the search process and confidentiality, confirm the schedule of meetings, discuss preferred attributes of the next president, review the descriptions and needs of the campus and presidential position, and discuss any other business related to the search process.

The committee will work over the next several months reviewing applications and will conduct interviews.

For more information about the CSU presidential search process, see the Executive Search page.