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 to a candidate survey—nearly 1,500 responses—as unusually high for this kind of search.

Buffkin Baker will present an assessed pool to the committee on July 15 in Richmond. From that pool the committee expects to select first-round interviewees; a first-round interview event is scheduled near the Dallas airport later in July, followed by a final round on post at a date to be determined. Ernie said the committee set Sept. 22, the first day of the regularly scheduled Board of Visitors meeting, as the no-later-than date for selection and that the schedule could move earlier if the process permits. “We are not gonna get later than that, if at all possible,” Ernie said.

Jamie, co-chair of the search committee, said the volume and quality of applicants may allow the committee to “move it to the left” by about three weeks. The committee also discussed compressing the time between first- and second-round interviews so finalists are assessed without a long gap that could coincide with on-post events and cadet matriculation.

Committee members discussed interview format and preparation. The chairs described Buffkin Baker’s recommended approach that first-round interviews be conversational—“more of a dinner table conversation”—and stressed the need to develop question themes rather than a rigid script. First-round interviews will be about one hour, the committee said. Members were asked to submit proposed themes and questions to the committee chairs for consolidation and refinement with Buffkin Baker ahead of the July assessment.

Members raised confidentiality and public-records concerns about internal communications. A committee member asked whether exchanging questions by email among multiple committee members could trigger the public meetings law; another member advised keeping distribution to a single point of contact to avoid inadvertently creating a public-meeting quorum by electronic back-and-forth. The committee agreed that all draft questions should be sent to the designated point of contact for consolidation.

Background screening and vetting were discussed. Members said Buffkin Baker’s scope includes standard pre-employment checks such as credential review, social-media screening and financial checks; several members suggested that comprehensive background investigations be reserved for a narrowed finalist pool because such checks are resource-intensive. The chairs said they would ask Buffkin Baker to clarify the timing and depth of background checks in the next update.

Several committee members emphasized treating candidates fairly to preserve VMI’s reputation. One committee member said the worst outcome would be candidates leaving the process feeling “sandbagged” by surprise or “gotcha” questions; the chairs said the committee wants finalists to leave as potential ambassadors for VMI even if they are not selected.

Next steps the committee recorded are: members should submit interview themes and questions to the chairs as homework; the chairs will meet with Buffkin Baker the following day for an updated status report; the committee will convene in Richmond on July 15 for candidate assessment; and first-round interviews are planned for later in July with a final on-post round to follow.

There were no formal votes or motions during the session.