UA President Search

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

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University of Alaska President Search Process

The University of Alaska seeks a visionary, strategic, and collaborative leader with experience managing large, complex organizations who will bring a modern understanding of higher education to serve as its next President. 

The University of Alaska (UA), founded in 1917, is America’s Arctic University and the northernmost public higher-education system in the United States. The UA inspires learning, advances and disseminates knowledge through teaching, research, and public service, emphasizing the North and its peoples. As a land-, sea-, and space-grant system with three separately accredited universities and 11 community campuses across the state, UA plays an essential role in educating Alaska’s workforce, expanding the boundaries of Arctic research, and strengthening communities from Southeast Alaska to the North Slope.

Procedure for Candidacy

WittKieffer is assisting UA in this search. All applications, nominations, and inquiries are invited. Nominations and inquiries can be directed to: UAlaskaPresident@wittkieffer.com. 

Applications should include, as separate documents, a CV or resume and a letter of interest addressing the themes in the position profile.

For fullest consideration, candidate materials should be received by March 5, 2026. 

 

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Search Firm Listening Sessions

• UA students, staff, and faculty, and community members from around the state were invited to provide input and feedback on the characteristics and qualities they would like to see in UA’s next permanent president during listening sessions 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 UAA, UAF, and UAS, as well as the System Office, were able to attend their listening sessions in-person or virtually. Members of the general public could attend the In-person listening sessions.

• An anonymous feedback survey was also available through December 19 for those unable to attend in person or via Zoom.

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Presidential Search Committee:

• BOR Chair Scott Jepsen (Search Committee Chair)
• Regent Joey Crum
• Regent Karen Perdue
• Bonnie Brennan - UAF Student and incoming Chair of UA Coalition of Student Leaders (student governance)
• Austin Cranford - UAS Staff and Chair of UA Staff Alliance (staff governance)
• Dr. Jackie Cason - UAA Faculty and Chair of UA Faculty Alliance (faculty governance)
• Dr. Charlene Stern - UAF 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 UA 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 UAA, UAF, UAS, 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