VMI search committee reports robust candidate pool, sets July assessment and Sept. 22 decision deadline

The Virginia Military Institute Board of Visitors search committee met June 12 in a hybrid session to review the timeline and next steps in the search for a new superintendent, hearing that outside firm Buffkin Baker has assembled a large candidate universe and that the committee expects to assess candidates in mid-July and name a superintendent no later than the board’s Sept. 22 meeting.

Ernie, chairman of the search committee, said the committee retained the search firm Buffkin Baker on March 28 and that position profiles are now posted to VMI’s website. “The purpose of this meeting is to give the committee and the folks on livestream an update on where we are in the search process and specifically to talk about events going forward,” Ernie said.

The committee was told the search firm has combined multiple sources of names. According to the update, 38 names were submitted prior to Buffkin Baker’s retention, survey respondents listed roughly 168 additional names, and the firm is contacting about 650 further prospects from its database. The committee described the overall response…