News & Messages

Hargrove to chair search committee seeking Thorp’s successor as chancellor

Wade Hargrove, the chair of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Board of Trustees, will chair the search committee to recommend a successor to Chancellor Holden Thorp.

Hargrove, who was re-elected to a second term as chair of the Board of Trustees in July, discussed details about the 21-member search committee at a regular board meeting. Search committee members represent the Board of Trustees, students, faculty, staff, alumni and the community.

The search committee will recommend a slate of finalists to the full Board of Trustees, who vote on recommending candidates to UNC President Tom Ross. Then Ross will recommend a candidate to the UNC Board of Governors, which elects the new chancellor.

Ross will give the committee its charge at its first organizational meeting, on Friday, Oct. 5, between 10 a.m. and noon at a location to be announced later.

“We are launching a national search to identify the most qualified person to lead the University,” Hargrove said. “This is a challenging time for the University and public higher education in general, and our goal is to build upon the University’s 200-plus years of academic excellence.”

Thorp, Carolina’s 10th chancellor, notified UNC President Tom Ross on Sept. 16 that he planned to step down, effective June 30, 2013. Thorp, a Kenan Professor, will take a research leave to prepare to resume his research and teaching in the chemistry department faculty.

Hargrove said the search committee planned to hold public forums to provide campus community members, alumni and the public with opportunities to share the characteristics they hope to see in the next chancellor. Details will be announced later.

Hargrove of Raleigh is a partner with the law firm of Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard LLP. He was appointed to the Board of Trustees in 2009. A Jefferson Standard Foundation and Alumni Scholar, he earned a bachelor’s degree with honors at Carolina in 1962. He graduated with his UNC law degree three years later.

Serving as vice chairs of the search committee are Trustees Barbara Hyde of Memphis, current vice chair of the board and president of the J.R. Hyde III Family Foundation and director of the J.R. Hyde Sr. Foundation; and Felicia Washington of Charlotte, a partner and lawyer at K&L Gates LLP. Hyde, elected as a trustee in 2005, earned a bachelor’s degree in English and religion from UNC in 1983. Washington, who was elected to the board in 2009, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics from Carolina in 1987.

Other search committee members – representing the Board of Trustees, students, faculty, staff, alumni and community – are:

  • Trustee John Townsend III of Greenwich, Conn., managing partner and chief operating officer for Tiger Management, LLC. He graduated from UNC in 1977 with a bachelor’s degree and in 1982 with a master’s in business administration degree from Kenan-Flagler Business School.
  • Trustee Donald Curtis of Raleigh, chair and chief executive officer of the Curtis Media Group Inc. He earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from UNC in 1963.
  • Roger Perry of Chapel Hill, former chair of the Board of Trustees and president of East West Partners. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from UNC in 1971.
  • Will Leimenstoll of Greensboro, an environmental studies major who is the student body president and serves ex officio on the Board of Trustees;
  • Michael Bertucci, a doctoral student in chemistry who is president of the Graduate and Professional Student Federation.
  • Jan Boxill, faculty chair and senior lecturer, department of philosophy, College of Arts and Sciences.
  • Valerie Ashby, professor and chair, department of chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences. She earned two UNC degrees: a bachelor’s in chemistry in 1988 and her Ph.D. in 1994.
  • Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Kenan Distinguished Professor and chair, department of exercise and sport science, College of Arts and Sciences.
  • John McGowan, Ruel W. Tyson, Jr. Distinguished Professor of the Humanities, department of English and comparative literature, College of Arts and Sciences.
  • Cam Patterson, Ernest and Hazel Craige Distinguished Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, School of Medicine.
  • Douglas Shackelford, Meade H. Willis Distinguished Professor of Taxation, Kenan-Flagler Business School. He earned a bachelor of science degree in business administration from UNC in 1980.
  • Jackie Overton, chair, Employee Forum. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in African-American studies in 1985, as well as a master’s degree in education and counseling, both at UNC.
  • Dwayne Pinkney, vice provost for finance and academic planning, Office of the Provost. He earned a Ph.D. in political science from UNC in 2001.
  • Kenneth Broun, former Chapel Hill mayor and Henry Brandis Professor of Law Emeritus, School of Law, where he also was dean.
  • Eric Montross of Chapel Hill, chair of the General Alumni Association Board of Directors and a commentator for men’s basketball games on the Tar Heel Sports Network radio broadcasts. He earned a UNC bachelor of arts degree in speech communications in 1994.
  • Chuck Lovelace of Chapel Hill, executive director of the Morehead-Cain Foundation. He earned his bachelor’s of arts degree in economics from UNC in 1977. He went on to earn his master’s in business administration at Carolina two years later.
  • Dwight Stone of Greensboro, president of D. Stone Builders Inc. and chair of the Educational Foundation Inc.’s Executive Board of Directors. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in history from UNC in 1973.
  • Richard Vinroot, former Charlotte mayor and a senior partner in the law firm of Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson, P.A. He graduated from UNC in 1963 with a business administration degree and earned a UNC law degree in 1966.

Chancellor Search Committee Leadership Photo URLs:

http://tinyurl.com/4yb7ugx (Hargrove, chair)

http://uncnews.unc.edu/images/bot/hyde_barbara_05.jpg (Hyde, vice chair)

http://uncnews.unc.edu/images/bot/washington_felicia_09.jpg (Washington, vice

chair)

Contact: News Services staff, (919) 962-2091