New College of Florida Presidential Selection Committee Announced
June 20, 2011 – Bob Johnson, chair of the New College of Florida Board of Trustees, today announced the formation of a Presidential Selection Committee to choose a successor to New College President Gordon E. “Mike” Michalson, Jr., who will retire on July 1, 2012. Following a one-year sabbatical, Michalson plans to rejoin the New College faculty as a professor of religion in the fall of 2013.
Michalson’s successor will be the second president of New College of Florida since it became the independent honors college of the State of Florida in 2001.
Johnson said that the committee, which is charged with “furthering the vision and goals of New College and those of its president, Mike Michalson,” will meet in the month of July to develop a process for reviewing and selecting candidates for the post. He anticipated that a successor will be announced in the spring of 2012.
The committee includes New College students, faculty, alumni and trustees along with several prominent community leaders from the Sarasota-Bradenton area. The committee members are:
- Hannah Ackerman, New College student
- Susan Burns, New College alumna; editor, Biz941 magazine
- Charlene Callahan, New College provost (retiring June 30, 2011) and associate professor of psychology
- Kathy Coffey, former corporate human resources director; community leader (Pine View School for the Gifted Association, Evelyn Sadler Jones YMCA); member, New College Foundation Board of Trustees
- Audrey Coleman, retired administrator, Boston Public Schools; community leader (Girls Inc., Women’s Resource Center); member, New College Board of Trustees
- Aron Edidin, New College professor of philosophy; chair, Humanities Division
- Renée Hamad, community leader (Women’s Resource Center, Sarasota Music Archives); member, New College Foundation Board of Trustees
- Rolland V. Heiser, retired president, New College Foundation; member, New College Foundation Board of Trustees; past member, Florida Board of Governors; past member, New College Board of Trustees
- Cindy Hill Ford, New College alumna; attorney, the Law Offices of Cindy Hill Ford, P.A.; chair, New College Alumnae/i Association Board of Directors
- Bill Johnston, former president and COO, New York Stock Exchange; member, New College Board of Trustees
- Michael Long, co-president New College Student Alliance; chairman, Florida Student Association; student representative, Florida Board of Governors
- Patrick McDonald, New College professor of mathematics
- Stewart Stearns, former president and CEO, the Community Foundation of Sarasota County
- Tom Towler, retired businessman; Sarasota County Hospital Board secretary
The longest-serving president in the history of New College, Mike Michalson has served as president of the College since July of 2001. At his retirement, he will have served as chief administrative officer of New College for 16 of the past 20 years, including five years as Dean and Warden (1992-1997) while the College was still part of the University of South Florida (USF).
Past presidents of New College include Dr. George F. Baughman (1961-1965), Dr. John Elmendorf (1965-1968, 1969-1972), Dallas W. Dort (acting, 1972-1973) and Dr. Arland F. Christ-Janer (1973-1975). After joining with USF and the State University System in 1975, the College was led by a succession of chief academic officers until becoming the 11th member of the State University System in 2001.