Presidential search committee has goals to find candidate by Spring 2020

The current president of Coastal Carolina University is David A. DeCenzo, who plans to retire in 2021.

He began serving as president on May 7, 2007 and announced his retirement plans last year. When the announcement was released, CCU’s Board of Trustees approved the creation of a presidential search committee to begin the process of finding the next president.

The committee has seven trustees, a faculty member, a staff member, a dean, an athletic administrator, and one representative from the Faculty Senate, Staff Senate, Executive Council, Student Government Association, Coastal Alumni Association, Chanticleer Athletic Foundation, Coastal Educational Foundation and the Horry County Higher Education Commission, according to News 13.

CCU held Presidential Search Listening Sessions on Oct. 14-15.

“Feedback provided by faculty, staff, students, alumni, and members of the public will help refine the criteria by which the Presidential Search Advisory Committee screens and evaluates candidates,” the CCU email said. “The sessions are intended to gather input on the qualities and characteristics that CCU stakeholders hope to see in the next president.”

The Buffkin/Baker Search Firm will be aiding the Board of Trustees in the search process. During these sessions, Martin Baker was there to listen to the members of the CCU community over the course of two days during the 11 sessions. Based on the qualities described during the sessions, a job description will be created.

“There’s no reason to believe this will be anything but an authentic search,” Baker said. “Coastal Carolina University would not invest in a firm if they were not serious about the search and I’m excited to be working on it. I think the process is to be a confidential search, and when the new candidate is chosen, they will interface with the community. This is what most universities do.”

With it being a closed search, the sessions were the biggest chance for the community to share the qualities they hope to see in the new president. However, Baker said that a presidential website will be developed, and he hopes to receive emails if any nominees come to mind. The goal is for the search to be concluded in Spring 2020. Whoever is selected will have the opportunity to work alongside DeCenzo until his retirement, however, it will not be a requirement.

“This is a historical transition for this great institution and we want to ensure that members of the CCU community are able to fully engage in this process,” the chair of the Presidential Search Advisory Committee Delan Stevens said in a CCU email.