WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., Oct. 14, 2015 — After a national search and months of interviewing and vetting, the West Liberty University Presidential Search Committee has named two final candidates for the next president of West Liberty University, Dr. Ron Dempsey and Dr. Stephen Greiner.
Presidential Search Committee Chairman Les DeFelice presented the names to the Board of Governors at its regular 4 p.m., Oct. 14 meeting.
“I am pleased to announce that the Board of Governors has unanimously accepted the recommendations of the Search Committee and hopes to select a new President from these two finalists,” said Chairman of the Board of Governors George Couch.
“We were blessed with many outstanding candidates and a dedicated, hardworking committee that reached a consensus that either Dr. Ron Dempsey or Dr. Stephen Greiner is the best candidate to lead West Liberty University,” he added. “We are grateful to every person that applied and particularly those that took the time and provided so much professional and personal information to go through this intensive screening and interview process.”
The remaining finalists will meet with the entire Board of Governors and West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission Chancellor Paul Hill on Oct. 29 for further interviews and discussions. The final selection of president is expected at the end of these interviews.
Dempsey is a resident of Acworth, Ga. and since 2005 has served as vice president for University Advancement at Southern Polytechnic State University, Marietta, Ga., which is now consolidating with Kennesaw State University.
Greiner resides in Hazard, Ky. and is the president and CEO of Hazard Community and Technical College, a comprehensive multiple campus public degree granting institution serving approximately 4,000 students in seven counties in eastern Kentucky.
West Liberty University’s search for its next president began last spring and more than 40 applicants applied for the position after it was posted in May 2015. Eleven of the 40 were invited to take part in Skype interviews in July, which narrowed the field to eight who were then interviewed in Pittsburgh. Subsequently, the field was narrowed to four.
All four of these candidates visited campus in September and met with faculty, alumni, students, classified and non-classified employees. They also met with members of the community and other constituents. After careful review the Search Committee then narrowed the field to the final two.
“As a result of the campus visits by the four candidates, the input to the Search Committee from the President’s Cabinet, students, faculty, program directors, chairs, deans, alumni, classified, and non-classified staff, donors, civic leaders, political leaders, business leaders, and friends of West Liberty had an overwhelming impact on the choice of the two very strong finalists. We are grateful to everyone that took the time to assist in this decision,” said DeFelice.
The Board of Governors will forward its choice for president to the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission for final approval. WLU expects to have a president on board in time for the spring semester.
West Liberty University’s Presidential Search Committee is comprised of all members of the Board of Governors plus two additional faculty representatives, one additional non-classified staff member, one additional classified staff member, two WLU Foundation members and two alumni representatives.
Also serving as non-voting, ex-officio members are Interim President Dr. John P. McCullough and Chancellor Hill. For more information, please visit westliberty.edu/bog.