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Å®Óźϼ¯ President Search

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

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University of Alaska President Search Process

The Å®Óźϼ¯ Board of Regents has retained WittKieffer, a nationally recognized executive search firm, to support the search for Å®Óźϼ¯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: Å®Óźϼ¯laskaPresident@wittkieffer.com.

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Search Firm Listening Sessions

• Å®Óźϼ¯ 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 Å®Óźϼ¯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 Å®Óźϼ¯A, Å®Óźϼ¯F, and Å®Óźϼ¯S, as well as the System Office, will be able to attend their listening sessions in-person or virtually; a Å®Óźϼ¯ 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 .

• DEADLINE EXTENDED: The survey form will stop accepting submissions at 8:00 p.m. AKST on Friday, December 19.

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Presidential Search Committee:

• BOR Chair Scott Jepsen (Search Committee Chair)
• Regent Joey Crum
• Regent Karen Perdue
• Bonnie Brennan - Å®Óźϼ¯F Student and incoming Chair of Å®Óźϼ¯ Coalition of Student Leaders (student governance)
• Austin Cranford - Å®Óźϼ¯S Staff and Chair of Å®Óźϼ¯ Staff Alliance (staff governance)
• Dr. Jackie Cason - Å®Óźϼ¯A Faculty and Chair of Å®Óźϼ¯ Faculty Alliance (faculty governance)
• Dr. Charlene Stern - Å®Óźϼ¯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 Å®Óźϼ¯ 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

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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 Å®Óźϼ¯A, Å®Óźϼ¯F, Å®Óźϼ¯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