Office of the President

Dear Hope College Staff and Faculty:

Today, the Hope College Board of Trustees held a special meeting to approve the selection of a Presidential Search Committee.

Following the full board meeting in October, nominations were sought for committee members to represent the Board of Trustees, Administrative Council, Alumni Board, faculty, staff and student body. These nominations were submitted confidentially to Mary Remenschneider, who provided the lists to the Executive Committee of the board. On Dec. 1, the Executive Committee met and, through prayerful discussion and discernment, approved a slate of committee members to be representative of the many voices that comprise Hope College — diverse in thought, demographics and geography, and united in commitment to the Hope mission. Today, the full board approved the membership of the Presidential Search Committee, as follows:

Suzanne Shier, Board of Trustees – Committee Chair
Kristyn Bochniak ’01, Staff 
Dr. Steve Boerigter, Board of Trustees
Clare Da Silva ’19, Student Body
Dr. Matt DeJongh, Faculty
Dan Gordon, Board of Trustees
Dr. Fred Johnson III, Faculty 
Dr. Gerald Pillay, Board of Trustees
Jeff Puckett, Administrative Council
Doug Ruch ’81, Board of Trustees
Dr. Sonja Trent-Brown, Board of Trustees
Rev. Scott VanOostendorp ’75, Board of Trustees
Dr. Matt Wixson ’08, Alumni Board

As a reminder, the charge of this committee is to:

• Conduct an analysis of the college’s future needs and opportunities, and formulate a prospectus based on the analysis;
• Generate a strong and diverse pool of qualified candidates;
• Screen the candidate pool, conduct interviews, organize campus visits and perform due diligence to screen candidates;
• Keep the board informed of committee progress at critical points throughout the process;
• Keep the college community informed at key points throughout the process;
• Provide opportunity for stakeholder feedback prior to making a recommendation to the Board of Trustees; and
• Make a recommendation of a single candidate to the Board of Trustees, ideally by or before the January 2019 meeting.

Later this month, we will be announcing the membership of the Presidential Transition Committee as well as the search firm that will be assisting Hope with the presidential search process.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, thank you for your continued prayers and support. The trustees are grateful for your commitment to Hope College, our mission and our students. As 2017 draws to a close, we are excited about the year ahead.

Wishing you and your family a wonderful Christmas season —

Sincerely,
Karl

Dear Hope College Staff and Faculty,

Last week, the Board of Trustees held its annual fall meeting. One of the main discussion points at the meeting was the search for a new president.

The board is committed to recruiting a highly qualified individual to lead the college and ensuring a successful transition of leadership. To that end, the trustees approved a comprehensive presidential search and transition process, and also affirmed the use of a search firm to work closely with the search committee. A transition committee and the search committee will be formed this fall. The search firm will also be selected this fall.

Presidential Transition Committee

The Presidential Transition Committee will provide consistent leadership of the process, from the search through the first year of the new president’s term. It will be made up of trustees and Administrative Council representatives with the charge to:

• Oversee the successful implementation of the search, transition and onboarding process;
• Ensure there are opportunities to recognize our outgoing president Dennis Voskuil and welcome the new president;
• Identify and address issues and opportunities that may impact the transition process;
• Build relationships between various stakeholders and stakeholder groups; and
• Maintain communication with various stakeholder groups at appropriate points throughout the process.

Presidential Search Committee

The Presidential Search Committee will be representative of the Hope community and committed to the full extent of its charge. It will be composed of trustee, faculty, staff, student and alumni representatives. The search committee will be responsible to:

• Conduct an analysis of the college’s future needs and opportunities and formulate a prospectus based on the analysis;
• Generate a strong and diverse pool of candidates;
• Screen the candidate pool, conduct interviews, organize campus visits, and perform due diligence to screen candidates;
• Keep the board informed of committee progress at critical points throughout the process;
• Keep the college community informed at key points; and
• Provide opportunity for stakeholder feedback prior to making a recommendation to the Board of Trustees, ideally by or before the January 2019 meeting.

The Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees will select committee representatives from a slate of nominees from each stakeholder group, then send the committee slate to the Board of Trustees for approval in December 2017. Mary Remenschneider, chief of staff, is supporting the search committee, and she will work with each stakeholder group to prepare the slates for the Executive Committee.

During the search process, there will be opportunities for all stakeholders to provide input. So, whether or not you serve on the Presidential Search Committee, your feedback will inform the search for and selection of Hope’s next president.

President Voskuil and Mary Remenschneider will share more information about the search and transition process at the upcoming faculty meeting and staff town hall meeting.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, thank you for your dedication and service to Hope College. We are grateful for your prayers and support as we begin this important next step for Hope.

Spera in Deo,

Karl Droppers
Chair, Hope College Board of Trustees

Dear Hope College Staff and Faculty:

As the fall Board of Trustees meeting approaches, I imagine there may be anticipation and curiosity in the Hope community regarding the presidential search process. Indeed, this will be a topic of significant conversation for trustees next week — one that we will enter into prayerfully and diligently.

You can expect to receive a communication from me following next week’s board meeting. Before then, however, I would like you to know the following:

• The board will not be approving specific individuals to serve on the search committee at this meeting. That will occur at a later date.
• The board is committed to a process that will both strengthen the Hope community and yield a highly qualified individual to lead the institution.
• There are many ways to conduct this presidential search. The board’s goal is to follow a process that honors the campus community and positions the incoming president for success.

I have been on campus several times this fall, and each time I have experienced your extraordinary depth of care for Hope and our students. Hope College is a place of inspiration and aspiration, as evidenced by the caliber of your scholarly work and creative performance, your commitment to time-honored traditions and openness to new ones, and your focus on the success and well-being of each person.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, thank you for sharing your talents with Hope College, and for educating and preparing our students to be ambassadors of hope in the world.

Spera in Deo,

Karl Droppers
Board of Trustees Chair