President

Western University of Health Sciences

President

Western University of Health Sciences (WesternU) and its Board of Trustees seek a visionary, transparent, unifying and experienced leader to serve as its next president.

WesternU is a non-profit private university with its main campus in Pomona, California, and a second campus in Lebanon, Oregon. Founded in 1977, Western University of Health Sciences' mission is to produce, in a humanistic tradition, health care professionals and biomedical knowledge that will enhance and extend the quality of life in our communities.

WesternU is the largest graduate health professions university in the nation, employing over 1,100 dedicated faculty and staff with enrollment of over 3,800 students in 21 degree programs across nine colleges, including: Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (two), College of Health Sciences, Pharmacy, Graduate Nursing, Veterinary Medicine, Dental Medicine, Optometry, Podiatric Medicine, Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Medicine. In addition to its anchor osteopathic medicine program in California, the University also operates a second osteopathic medical campus in the Pacific Northwest, in Lebanon, Oregon. This campus, known as COMP-Northwest, welcomed its inaugural class of 107 osteopathic medical students in July 2011, and has grown to more than 400 per class. Occupational therapy and physical therapy are among the newer programs on the Lebanon campus. In addition to possessing program-specific certifications, WesternU is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

Reporting directly to the Board of Trustees, WesternU's next president should be a visionary leader with demonstrated success balancing a shared governance style of leadership. The president should bring a business-focused and academic perspective to respond to market demands, opportunities, and the future healthcare needs of the region and beyond. The incoming president should be knowledgeable and skillful in developing a shared vision and strategic plan for the institution's future; should embody a collaborative, collegial spirit, capturing the ethos of the campus; should identify new revenue streams and demonstrate fiscal prudence as it relates to WesternU's financial health and sustainability; and should support diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that reflect the institution's commitment to anti-racism, social justice, cultural sensitivity, free speech and other values that promote a welcoming and inclusive organizational environment. The president will aim to build the University’s external relationships, reputation and influence in the community. The president will also have a unique opportunity to evaluate the current organizational structure and support the development and enhancement of a high performing, collaborative leadership team that puts the interests and needs of the University above all else.

WesternU's next president should be an experienced organizational leader with the relationship-building skills needed to navigate across multiple external and internal constituents to advance the mission and objectives of the University. The president should bring a high-level of energy, passion and commitment to academic health professions and interprofessional education. The president should be an advocate for and support the implementation of programs and activities that advance inclusiveness across the institution. Furthermore, the incoming president should be an entrepreneurial and innovative leader with experience in fundraising from donors, alumni, foundations and industry partners that advance the vision, mission and overall strategy of the institution. For more information, please visit, www.wittkieffer.com.

All applications, nominations and inquiries are invited. Applications should include, as separate documents, a CV or resume and a letter of interest addressing the themes in the leadership profile. Application materials should be submitted by May 18, 2021 using WittKieffer's candidate portal.

Nominations and inquiries can be directed to consultants Zachary A. Smith, Ph.D., Deborah (Dee) Wing, M.D., M.B.A. and Molly Gauss at WesternUPresident@wittkieffer.com.

Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and Anti-Discrimination Statement

The variety of unique identities, perspectives, beliefs, experiences, and talent our employees pour into WesternU comprises our culture, our reputation and is the most valuable asset we have. WesternU is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, other non-merit factor, or status otherwise protected by law.