The St. Edward’s University Board of Trustees announced the final two candidates for the interim president position. Board Chair Linus Akanoh, Jr. sent an email this morning to the St. Edward’s community which revealed Thomas M. Mitzel and Matthew D. Shank as the two finalists, along with plans for the coming weeks. Akanoh described the candidates as “accomplished, mission-aligned leaders with demonstrated success guiding universities through transition.”
The announcement briefly introduced Mitzel and Shank and their presidential history. Mitzel’s LinkedIn profile shows that he served as president of Dickinson State University for four years, followed by five more years as president of Kentucky Wesleyan College. Mitzel was previously dean of the School of Natural Sciences at St. Edward’s and interim director of Wild Basin Creative Research Center. Shank was president of Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia for seven years and appears to have no prior connection to St. Edward’s.
The Board’s statement announced that both candidates will be on campus on April 21 and 22 to meet with “shared governance leaders and representatives,” including students, faculty and staff, who will provide the Board with “structured feedback” for the upcoming selection in May.
The email reiterated that the interim president appointment will last a maximum of two years while the university looks for a permanent candidate. The interim president will begin the transition on June 1 and will replace current President Montse Fuentes on July 1.
The administration has declined to comment at this time, stating that the email sent out to the St. Edward’s community earlier today serves as the Board’s official statement.