Search Committee Established to Assist in Selection of Next Northwestern President

February 21, 2022

The Regional University System of Oklahoma (RUSO) officials have announced the presidential search screening committee members tasked with advising the Regents in the process for finding a replacement for Dr. Janet Cunningham, who will retire as the university’s president at the end of June.

These members held their first committee meetings on Feb. 18 to discuss the process with the Higher Education Leadership Search firm.

Committee members appointed by RUSO include the following:

Regents

• Eric Fisher (committee chair)
• Jane McDermott
• Chris Van Denhende

Faculty

• Dr. Roxie James, chair of the Department of English, Foreign Language and Humanities
• Dr. Dean Scarbrough, chair of the Department of Agriculture

Student

• Erika Hernandez, senior education major from Laverne

Administrators

• Dr. David Pecha, vice president for administration

Staff

• Kevin Fields, health and safety officer

Community Leaders

• Jim Dunning, owner at ICT-CPA
• Tom Evans, corporate valuation at Encompass Financial Services
• Todd Holder, Alva State Bank and Holder Drug
• Dwight Hughes, superintendent and CEO at Autry Technology Center
• Alexa Humphries, financial adviser at Edward Jones
• Connor Martin, councilman with City of Alva, owner of Peak Environment
• Janice Melton, past warden at Bill Johnson Correctional Center
• L.D. Rapp, Northwestern Foundation chair
• Kyle Reynolds, superintendent of Woodward Public Schools
• John Ryerson, owner at Starr Lumber Company

Those with questions about Northwestern’s presidential search may visit www.nwosu.edu/presidential-search.

-NW-