ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´

ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ President Search

In November 2025, ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ President Pat Pitney announced her intention to retire at the end of May 2026. The ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ Board of Regents has now announced the process which will guide the search for ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´'s next permanent president. 

---

University of Alaska President Search Process

The ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ Board of Regents has retained WittKieffer, a nationally recognized executive search firm, to support the search for ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´â€™s next permanent president. President Pitney and the Board are committed to facilitating a smooth transition, and the Regents intend to complete the search process and name a new permanent president prior to her retirement in May.

Should you have any candidate nominations or other thoughts to share, please email the WittKieffer team at: ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´laskaPresident@wittkieffer.com.

---

Search Firm Listening Sessions

• ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ students, staff, and faculty, and community members from around the state are invited to provide input and feedback on the characteristics and qualities they would like to see in ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´â€™s next permanent president.
• Listening sessions will be hosted during the week of December 8 in Juneau, Fairbanks, and Anchorage by WittKieffer, the executive search firm contracted by the Board of Regents to assist in the presidential search.
• Students, staff, and faculty at ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´A, ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´F, and ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´S, as well as the System Office, will be able to attend their listening sessions in-person or virtually; a ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ login will be required to register for and attend virtual sessions.
• Members of the general public may attend the In-person listening sessions scheduled for Juneau, Fairbanks, and Anchorage.

• We have also created an anonymous feedback survey for those unable to attend in person or via Zoom, which is available . The form will stop accepting submissions at 2:00pm AKST on Monday, December 15.

---

Presidential Search Committee:

• BOR Chair Scott Jepsen (Search Committee Chair)
• Regent Joey Crum
• Regent Karen Perdue
• Bonnie Brennan - ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´F Student and incoming Chair of ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ Coalition of Student Leaders (student governance)
• Austin Cranford - ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´S Staff and Chair of ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ Staff Alliance (staff governance)
• Dr. Jackie Cason - ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´A Faculty and Chair of ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ Faculty Alliance (faculty governance)
• Dr. Charlene Stern - ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´F Interim Provost
• Russell Dick - President & Chief Executive Officer of Huna Totem Corporation
• Erec Isaacson - President, ConocoPhillips Alaska
• Dave Karp - Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Saltchuk  
• Katie Koester - City Manager for the City and Borough of Juneau
• Meg Nordale - President of GHEMM Company and ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ Foundation Board Chair
• Joe Usibelli, Jr.  - President, Usibelli Coal Mine
• Conrad Woodhead - CTE & Residential Director of the Kusilvak Career Academy for the Lower Yukon School District

---

Anticipated Search Timeline

The Board, in consultation with WittKieffer, anticipates the search to follow the schedule below:

• Week of December 8 - Listening Sessions with WittKieffer at ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´A, ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´F, ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´S, and System Office
• Early January 2026 - Recruitment opens
• March 2026 - WittKieffer conducts due diligence; search committee reviews applications, conducts interviews
• April 2026 - Finalists announced, finalist on-site visits
• April - May 2026 - President hired
• Summer 2026 - New president arrives