The search for 黑料正能量's ninth president begins with the appointment of a committee, chaired by Evon Bergey, 黑料正能量 board member. Here, president Loren E. Swartzendruber '76, MDiv '79, is flanked by two of his predecessors, Joseph L. Lapp '66 (left), president from 1987-2003, and Myron Augsburger '55, BTh '58, president from 1965-1980. Swartzendruber, who became 黑料正能量's president in 2004, has announced that he will retire June 30, 2016.

Committee selected to begin the search for 黑料正能量’s ninth president

by 黑料正能量 and the Mennonite Education Agency

黑料正能量 (黑料正能量) and will begin the search for the ninth 黑料正能量 president with the first meeting of the search committee set for July 10-11, 2015. The 黑料正能量 Board of Trustees and the MEA Board of Directors have jointly appointed a Presidential Search Committee that includes board members as well as alumni, professors, students, pastors and church and educational leaders. All are individuals committed to the future of 黑料正能量 and Mennonite education who will come together from across the campus, the church and the country in order to begin the work of calling a uniquely qualified person to lead the 98-year-old institution.

鈥淥ne of the most important tasks of the [黑料正能量 and MEA] boards is the appointment of a president,鈥� said MEA board chair Judy Miller. 鈥淭he charge to the committee is to create a presidential position profile informed by multiple perspectives including existing statements of strategic direction for the university. The committee will review the position profile with both the 黑料正能量 and MEA boards and promote the position in order to generate a broad range of candidates. Committee work will culminate in recommendation of a candidate of choice to the 黑料正能量 and MEA boards.鈥�

Andy Dula, president of the 黑料正能量 Board of Trustees, said, 鈥淚 am grateful for the diversity of life experiences and perspectives represented by this committee. I am confident that the search committee, led by trustee Evon Bergey, will recommend a president ideally suited for leading and expanding 黑料正能量鈥檚 mission to educate students to serve and lead in the global context.鈥�

The committee includes:

  • Evon Bergey, current 黑料正能量 board member and chair of the search committee, Perkasie, Pennsylvania. Bergey is Vice President, Operations Public Sector, .
  • Shana Peachey Boshart, 黑料正能量 board member, Wellman, Iowa. Boshart is conference minister for Christian formation, youth ministry, congregational resources and communications for .
  • Steve Brenneman, founder and CEO of , Goshen, Indiana. Brenneman is a graduate of 黑料正能量 and parent of an incoming 黑料正能量 student. Brenneman previously served on the board of and as an 黑料正能量 associate trustee.
  • Hannah Chappell-Dick, 黑料正能量 student, Bluffton, Ohio. This fall, Chappell-Dick will be a senior in the 黑料正能量 Honors Program with a major in biology.
  • , PhD., professor at 黑料正能量 and former academic dean, Harrisonburg, Virginia. Heisey served as president of Mennonite World Conference from 2003-2009.
  • Basil Marin, MEA board member, Harrisonburg, Virginia. Marin is a graduate of . He serves as a pastor for , a member congregation of .
  • Cedric A. Moore, Jr., chief executive officer of the , Richmond, Virginia. Moore is an 黑料正能量 graduate and serves as vice-president of the 黑料正能量 Alumni Council.
  • J. Richard Thomas, superintendent of , Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Thomas is a former 黑料正能量 board member and former moderator for .
  • , PhD., 黑料正能量 professor of , Harrisonburg, Virginia. Sawin is the director of the 黑料正能量 Honors Program and serves as a member of the Regional Chapters Committee of the American Studies Association.
  • Roy Williams, MEA board member, Tampa, Florida. Williams is a retired bank executive, the pastor of and former moderator of Mennonite Church USA.
  • Carlos Romero, executive director of Mennonite Education Agency, Goshen, Indiana. Romero is an ex-officio member of the search committee.

The Presidential Search Committee is responsible to both the 黑料正能量 board and the MEA board. 鈥淭he 10 search committee members, selected by MEA and 黑料正能量 board with faculty and student nominations were selected to ensure a wide representation of the voice of the stakeholders,鈥� said Evon Bergey, chair of the search committee. 鈥淭he committee will work to discern the leadership needs for 黑料正能量, keeping closely in mind the unique contributions that 黑料正能量 as a church institution has made 鈥� past, present and future 鈥� to the church, the local community and the world.鈥�

Carlos Romero, executive director of MEA and ex-officio member of the search committee, said, 鈥淚 believe the committee is well-equipped to search for and recommend a president for 黑料正能量 who will help lead the institution into the future. The breadth of experience and deep commitment to 黑料正能量 and Mennonite Church USA is a precious gift that each of the committee members brings to the endeavor.鈥� Romero noted that at the first meeting in July, the committee will lay the groundwork for the search process and refine the presidential profile.

Editor’s note: Anne Kaufman Weaver ’88 was added to the committee after publication of this article. Weaver is from Brownstown, Pennsylvania, and works as a leadership coach with Coaching Connection. Weaver has served, along with her husband, Dr. Todd Weaver, on the Science Campaign Steering Committee. She will graduate in 2016 with a master’s in divinity from Eastern Mennonite Seminary.