Of the three finalists for Ohio University's top finance job, one has already dropped out and another hasn't responded to OU's invitation to visit campus.
It's the second time OU's search for a new vice president for Finance and Administration - one of the university's highest paying and most influential positions - has fallen short. Two finalists dropped out of the last search, and OU decided to restart the search instead of hiring the remaining candidate.
The only candidate who scheduled a visit during the latest search, Stephen Golding, the interim chief financial officer at Wells College in Aurora, New York, will visit campus May 26 to May 28.
If hired, he will replace Bill Decatur, who left OU in January to become executive vice president at the Rhode Island School of Design. He earned a $245,725 salary.
The candidate who withdrew didn't give a reason, said Becky Watts, chief of staff to OU President Roderick McDavis. The other candidate hasn't responded to an invitation to visit campus for an additional interview, according to a news release from the provost's office.
Baker and Associates, the search firm OU hired to find Decatur's replacement, has charged OU about $82,000 since it began the search in January.
The vice president for Finance and Administration manages the university budget and institutional policies, and reports directly to McDavis. After Decatur left for Rhode Island, OU selected Michael Angelini, then OU's associate vice president for Finance, to serve as interim vice president for Finance and Administration. He earns $175,000 annually.
As part of his on-campus interview, Golding will lead an open forum from 3:15 to 4:15 p.m. in 236 Bentley Hall. The forum will be broadcast online at http://streaming.cns.ohiou.edu/president/, and itineraries and resumes for the candidates will be available online at www.ohio.edu/president.
Golding previously worked at Cornell University as executive vice president and then as senior consultant to the president. He currently serves as managing partner for the 1782 Group, a higher education consulting company, as well as interim chief financial officer for Wells College.
Golding said he resigned from his position as executive vice president at Cornell University because of downsizing.
There was some need to restructure the administrative side of the house
so the president and I decided this was a good time to make a transition to other activities I had interest in Golding said.
He said the president of Cornell University then asked him to participate in the governor's task force for six months, which included working on industry higher education partnerships and expanding the relationships around commercialization of university research. Golding earned $465,822 as executive vice president at Cornell University in 2008, according to the college's IRS filings.
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Pamela Engel
