Search for new leader begins

A 10-member committee began its search Wednesday for a new IU Alumni Association president. The committee will replace Jerry Tardy, who led the Association for 14 years before his death Sept. 7.\nThe committee hopes to find someone with connections to IU and a great love for the University, said J. Terry Clapacs, vice president and chief administrative officer and the chair of the committee. The committee hopes to complete its work by January, Clapacs said.\nIU President Myles Brand appointed the 10 members of the committee, said James Tinney, a spokesman for the committee. All members are IU alumni.\n"The idea was to find a diverse representation in different interests and areas. Four of them have been leaders of the Alumni Foundation," Tinney said. "The IUAA has a permanent president, which is who the committee is finding a replacement for, and then an alumni member who is the leader of the Foundation, which is rotated yearly."\nThe search committee will post the position on the alumni electronic newsletter and the alumni magazine, and place ads in many newspapers in the Midwest, Clapacs said.\n"We're interested in someone with connections to the University -- that could mean having a degree, or simply someone who has done work or volunteered for the University. Above all, though, we want someone who has a great love and desire to contribute to the University," Clapacs said. "Beyond that, the person will need to have good people skills, organizational and managerial skills because the organization has such a large budget."\nAlumni Foundation President Curt Simic, a member of the search committee, declined to comment on the committee, saying the group had appointed Clapacs as the group's sole spokesman.\nClapacs said the position will likely attract many applicants, so after all applications have been reviewed, there will be an initial cut, followed by a series of interviews.\n"Typically, in a search like this, the committee will make their recommendation to President Brand and he will make the final decision," Tinney said. "They have some flexibility in how many candidates they can choose, and in this case it will probably be more than one."\nIUAA Vice President John Hobson, who serves as interim president, would not say whether he would apply for the position.