President
- Employer
- SANTA FE COLLEGE
- Location
- Gainesville, FL
- Starts
- Closes
A Singular Leadership Opportunity
The Santa Fe College Presidency
North Central Florida
The Santa Fe College (SF) District Board of Trustees and Presidential Search Committee invite applications and nominations for the presidency of this Aspen Prize-winning, highly acclaimed institution of higher learning. Since 2012, SF has consistently ranked among the nation’s top 10 community colleges and is the best performing institution among Florida’s 28 state colleges.
The next president will succeed Dr. Jackson Sasser, who will retire February 1, 2020, after 18 years of highly distinguished service. The new president will be invited to assume office on or about February 1.
The president reports to an outstanding eight-member District Board of Trustees. The college is accredited by the Florida Department of Education and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. It is a member of The Florida College System, a network of 28 state colleges.
Santa Fe College was established in 1965 to serve Alachua and Bradford counties. The city of Gainesville is Alachua’s county seat. Originally named Santa Fe Community College, the institution changed to Santa Fe College in 2008 when it began offering bachelor’s degrees. Today SF offers nine baccalaureate programs, 101 associate degrees and 42 technical certificates. The college also provides a wide array of workforce development, continuing, adult and community education programs. SF enrolls over 20,900 degree-seeking students annually from Florida, the nation and 111 countries. Each year, the college awards more than 3,500 degrees and certificates. SF features seven locations in greater Gainesville, Alachua and Bradford counties.
This presidency is a rare opportunity. The college enjoys an enviable academic reputation. It is a top producer of Fulbright Scholars, boasts the nation’s only accredited teaching zoo and offers a myriad of travel and study-abroad opportunities. The student body is 44% diverse, which enriches the educational experience for all members of the SF community of learners. SF is raising funds for a new 86,000 square foot campus in downtown Gainesville that will become its comprehensive center for business and IT education programs. The Santa Fe College Foundation has a $51.9 million endowment.
The region that will become the new SF president’s home offers magnificent educational, economic, health care, recreational, dining and arts advantages. Gainesville ranks No. 1 in Florida on Livability.com's Top 100 Best Places to Live and that site recognized the city as one of the nation’s “Ten Best College Towns.” The career site Zippia named Gainesville as the “Best Place to Start your Career” in Florida and the state’s most popular beaches are just over an hour away. For a more complete description of all that makes the area special, take a look at the Guide to Greater Gainesville - https://www.guidetogreatergainesville.com and the North Florida Regional Chamber of Commerce in Starke - http://www.northfloridachamber.com.
SF welcomes the new president to embrace and further enrich its long-standing and distinctive culture. The college was founded more than 50 years ago with a spirit of innovation and an emphasis on learning and student success. It truly celebrates shared governance, freedom of expression and diverse points of view as the key to good decision making. It models to an extraordinary degree wholistic education so that students are prepared for the world of work as well as the opportunities and challenges life brings. Members of the SF community are encouraged to innovate and create as the path to excellence. SF won the Aspen Prize and leads the Florida College System in large part because of its unusually strong culture – a platform from which an astute president can lead the college to even higher pinnacles of distinction.
The next president shall hold an earned doctorate, or training and experience which the Board considers to be equivalent. The preferred candidates will have a track record of successful, innovative, collaborative, visionary leadership, preferably in an open enrollment institution; demonstrate that they place students at the center of their decision-making process; display a high level of integrity, emotional intelligence and authenticity; evidence achievement in fostering student success and supporting academic rigor; show enrollment management progress; have a positive relationship with governing boards; be a gifted fundraiser with public and private partners; and possess a relentless dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion.
The college encourages candidacies from women and members of underrepresented groups. It also welcomes applications from leaders in professions other than higher education, provided they display aptitude for effective higher education leadership.
The search profile, with additional information about Santa Fe College may be found at https://www.sfcollege.edu/presidentialsearch/index or https://www.agbsearch.com/.
APPLICATION PROCESS
The Presidential Search Committee will begin a review of applications in early July and continue work until an appointment is made. To assure full consideration, applications should be received by July 15, 2019, and include a letter of interest, curriculum vitae and five professional references with email addresses and telephone numbers. References will not be contacted without prior authorization from the applicant.
Applications should be sent electronically (MS Word or PDF Format) to: SantaFeCollegePres@agbsearch.com.
Please direct nominations and inquiries to:
FREDERICK V. MOORE, J.D., M.B.A.
Executive Search Consultant
AGB Search
C 712.299.2544
AGBSearch.com
RODERICK J. MCDAVIS, PH.D.
Managing Principal
AGB Search
O 202.776.0854
C 804.514.1982
AGBSearch.com
Santa Fe College is committed to maintaining a work and educational environment that embraces diversity and where no member of the college community is excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or subject to discrimination in any college program or activity based on: their race, ethnicity, national origin, color, religion, age, disability, sex, pregnancy status, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, genetic information, political opinions or affiliations or veteran status. This commitment applies to employees, volunteers, students, and, to the extent possible, to third parties, applicants for admission, applicants for employment and the general public.
Please note that Florida has a broad public records law, and that all correspondence to or from college employees and AGB Search via email may be subject to disclosure. Please contact the search consultants with any questions.