About Buffalo State University
Founded in 1871, SUNY Buffalo State University is one of the largest comprehensive institutions in the State University of New York system. As a civic, urban-engaged campus, Buffalo State prides itself on having smaller learning environments coupled with large university opportunities. We are a diverse and inclusive campus committed to the intellectual, personal, and professional growth of its students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Our mission is to change lives, to empower students to succeed, and to inspire a lifelong passion for learning.
Buffalo State has a long-standing commitment to education and challenges its students to pursue rigorous, transformative learning experiences so they have the means and the resilience to make an impact on their community and the wider world.
Announcements
]-
March 27, 2024: Update from SUNY about Leadership Transition at Buffalo State U… December 5, 2023: Chance M. Glenn Sr., Ph.D., Appointed President of Buffalo St… October 11, 2023: Presidential Search Update from Linda Dobmeier, Buffalo State… September 5, 2023: First-Round Interviews to Begin July 25, 2023: Application Review Continues June 8, 2023: Recruitment Efforts and Next Steps May 31, 2023: Durand Named Officer in Charge of Buffalo State May 5, 2023: Recruitment Process Underway April 17, 2023: Search Firm Open Forums - April 28 March 24, 2023: Reminder - Buffalo State University Presidential Search Survey March 17, 2023: Search Committee Officially Charged March 3, 2023: Presidential Search Site Launched February 28, 2023: Presidential Search Survey February 1, 2023: Search Firm Named January 25, 2023: Presidential Search Update January 19, 2023: Faculty Representation on the Presidential Search Committee November 2, 2022: Presidential Search Process Is Underway
About the Search
With the retirement of former president Katherine Conway-Turner, Buffalo State seeks its next president.
Buffalo State’s 10th president will be an outstanding leader with the capacity and aptitude for collaboration and the ability to communicate, inspire, and reflect the aspirations of the university across multiple audiences.
The search committee is chaired by Linda A. Dobmeier, ’71, chair of the Buffalo State Council, and is being assisted by Storbeck Search.
From the Buffalo State Council
We are pleased to announce that the bidding committee has retained Storbeck Search to partner with Buffalo State University in its 2023 presidential search process.
With decades of experience working with colleges, universities, and university systems, Storbeck Search has successfully led executive-level searches for many institutions, including the most recent presidential searches at SUNY Brockport, Cortland, Empire State, and Fredonia.
About the Search Firm
With a deep understanding of the unique challenges of higher education leadership and a strong understanding of shared governance, Storbeck Search brings a collaborative approach to the presidential search process that is based on listening and trust.
Storbeck Search is a part of Diversified Search Group, the world’s largest woman-founded executive search firm. Storbeck identifies and evaluates executives from all backgrounds, treating candidates fairly and with dignity.
Storbeck Search Coordinators
Vicki Henderson
Vicki Henderson's career in higher education recruiting began more than 20 years ago. She has led and managed recruitment efforts for college and university president, provost, dean, and director searches, as well as searches for leaders in development, student affairs, finance and administration, and institutional effectiveness, at both public and private institutions.
Vicki's full bio.
Christopher Lee
Christopher Lee is widely known as an expert on the Search Committee process, having authored two books and having trained over 1,000 HR professionals on the subject over the past 20 years. While serving at the Virginia Community College System (VCCS), Lee led the search process to select over 30 presidents of the 23-college system over his 13-year tenure.
Christopher's full bio.
Steve Leo
A seasoned search professional with more than two decades of experience in higher education executive search, Steve Leo has conducted searches for presidents, vice presidents, senior development officers, deans, and other executives. Moreover, Leo speaks on issues relating to the future of leadership in higher education nationally and internationally.
Steve's full bio.November 2023
- The Council holds a special meeting in which it selects the top three candidates to forward to Chancellor John B. King, Jr. and to the SUNY Board of Trustees in accordance with SUNY Guidelines on Presidential Searches.
- The presidential search committee holds its final meeting and recommends its top four candidates to the Buffalo State University College Council for its deliberation.
- The search committee concludes on-campus interviews of the top six candidates on November 3.
October 2023
- The committee begins to host the top six candidates for on-campus interviews through a representative process, beginning October 29.
September 2023
- The committee conducts its first-round interviews from September 7 through September 14.
August 2023
- The committee meets to determine the top 12 candidates that it will select for first-round virtual interviews, on August 24. The committee focused its review on the strongest 35 applications and narrowed the group to 12 candidates. The committee will embark on a series of first-round interviews with those candidates over the next few weeks.
- Since the position was advertised, Storbeck contacted more than 500 prospective candidates. To date, the search firm received and reviewed the credentials of about 75 individuals who represent a broad range of candidates within higher education and other leadership roles.
July 2023
- Storbeck Search is continuing its recruitment efforts, while the Buffalo State University Presidential Search Committee will continue its review of applications into August, at which time the committee will meet again.
June 2023
- On June 6, the SUNY Board of Trustees approved Dr. Bonita R. Durand's appointment as Interim President of Buffalo State University.
- Storbeck has placed the position advertisement in several national publications, and our search consultants—Vicki Henderson, Christopher Lee, and Steve Leo—have begun contacting candidates who have been nominated by others as well as actively recruiting prospective candidates. The search committee has begun the review of applications and will continue its review through mid-August. The committee is on track to conduct its first-round confidential interviews in September, with the goal of having a group of finalists visit the campus in late September or early October.
May 2023
- On May 31, the Presidential Search Committee held its third meeting.
- Presidential search prospectus and profile (PDF) finalized and released.
- The presidential search website was recognized with a 2023 Hermes Creative Awards - Gold Award.
- The Presidential Search Committee met to conduct preliminary screenings of prospective candidates to gain a sense of the pool.
April 2023
- Storbeck Search will conduct three open forum listening sessions with the Buffalo State community on Friday, April 28, in the LoRusso Alumni and Visitor Center's Costello Hall.
Session 1, 10:00–11:00 a.m.
Session 2, 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Session 3, 1:00–2:00 p.m.Advance registration is not required for these open sessions.
- On April 18, the Presidential Search Committee held its second meeting.
March 2023
- Presidential Search website launched.
- College Council Chair Linda Dobmeier submitted her recommendations for the remaining members of the presidential search committee to SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. for his review and approval.
- Chancellor King accepted the elected and recommended members of the Buffalo State University presidential search committee from Chair Dobmeier.
- Chancellor King appointed his liaison and his SUNY designee to the presidential search committee.
- Chancellor King charged the Buffalo State University presidential search committee members.
- The presidential search committee conducted its first meeting.
February 2023
- The university, in consultation with the Buffalo State Council, retains an executive search firm (Storbeck Search) to guide the work of the Presidential Search Committee.
- The Buffalo State Council and Senate Chairs hold nominations and elections for the six full-time teaching faculty representatives to serve on the presidential search committee in accordance with the SUNY Guidelines.
- Storbeck Search begins virtual meetings with Buffalo State stakeholders.
- The Council Chair recommends the six duly elected members to the Chancellor and the other members for his approval, as per SUNY Guidelines.
- Search survey released to the campus community.
January 2023
- The Search Firm Bidding Committee holds meetings and interviews the six executive search firms from which the Foundation received proposals.
Search Committee
Linda Dobmeier, Chair
Buffalo State Council Representative
Naila Ansari
Faculty Representative, School of Arts and Sciences
Shannon Budin
Faculty Representative, School of Education
Pete Grum
Buffalo State Council Representative
Cheryl Hamilton
Designated Member of the Chancellor’s Senior Staff
Maureen Hammett
Alumni Representative
Andrew Hashey
Faculty Representative, School of Education
Michael Littman
Faculty Representative, School of the Professions
Chuck Naughton
Buffalo State Council Representative
Wendy Paterson
Academic Dean Representative, School of Education
Ramona Santa Maria
Faculty Representative, School of the Professions
Tracy Sawicki
Foundation Board Representative
Mark Severson
Faculty Representative, School of Arts and Sciences
Esmeralda Sierra
Community Representative
Celestine Simmons
Professional or Support Staff Representative
Mo Sumbundu
Buffalo State Council Representative
Dylan Williams
Student Representative
Robert Zak
Buffalo State Council Representative
Howard Zemsky
Business Leader Representative
Non-Voting Members
LeVar Burke
Campus Staff Liaison
Zulaika Rodriguez-Awoliyi
Chancellor’s Liaison
Search Firm Bidding Committee
Nancy Cox, Buffalo State Foundation Board Member
Lisa Morrison-Fronckowiak, Buffalo State Chief Diversity Officer (Interim)
Charles Naughton, Buffalo State Council Member
Zulaika Rodriguez- Awoliyi, SUNY Assistant Vice Chancellor
Jamie Warnes, Buffalo State Assistant Vice President for Human Resources