Liberty University selects CarterBaldwin to identify its next president

Liberty University has retained the services of Atlanta-based CarterBaldwin Executive Search to conduct an extensive and national search to identify its next president.

CarterBaldwin is a leading provider of executive search services in the healthcare, technology, business services, consumer products, academic and nonprofit sectors. The renowned executive recruiter is routinely listed among America’s top 40 executive search firms.

“During this season of institutional transition, Liberty University has benefited tremendously from a combination of stabilizing leaders with vast institutional experience and some of the nation’s best outside experts,” says search committee chairman Gilbert “Bud” Tinney. “The selection of CarterBaldwin demonstrates clearly Liberty’s ongoing commitment to excellence and its determination to work with the absolute best advisors to find the right individual to lead Liberty University into its next 50 years.”

In addition to its broad corporate work, CarterBaldwin has distinguished itself as the world’s leader in faith-based, not-for-profit executive search having placed more than 100 CEOs in faith-based institutions and countless other senior executives.

“While we work across every sector, we are extremely proud of our work on behalf of faith-based institutions,” says Price Harding, Chairman of CarterBaldwin and co-leader of the academic and non-profit practices. “Each CarterBaldwin search stands alone and is customized to meet the individual expectations and needs of our clients. Liberty University isn’t just one of the world’s largest institutions of higher education, it is also a unique institution with unique characteristics and nonnegotiable values. We are excited about partnering with the search committee to find the right leader. Along the way we will bring to the university our commitment to always providing objective counsel and the best available expertise in executive search. It’s an honor for us to help Liberty University find its next president.”

The university’s current and interim President, Jerry Prevo, has served with distinction in his role since August 2020 driving forward a renewed focus on the university’s Christian mission while providing strong, stable leadership during a season of intentional, institutional improvement. President Prevo’s tenure has been supported by the blessing of ongoing enrollment growth and excellence in academics and intercollegiate athletics as well as renewed spiritual life.

Prior to serving in his current role, Jerry Prevo chaired the Board of Trustees of Liberty University for many years.

“President Prevo has been a gift from God and exactly what Liberty needed over these transitional years. He has positioned Liberty well for the future” said Board Chairman Tim Lee, who also led the selection of the Board’s search committee members. “Liberty University will always be indebted to President Prevo for stepping out of retirement for these three years to serve Liberty tirelessly and sacrificially. His exceptional work will ensure a good start for our next leader and his own contribution to Liberty University will be remembered, and celebrated, for generations.”

The university will be releasing a full position profile mid-September in order to begin the official process of soliciting and evaluating potential candidates.

The search committee of the Board of Trustees has set a target date of installing the new university president prior to the 2023/2024 academic year. President Prevo will serve in his current position until the presidency is filled.

“I’d like to thank Chairman Lee, President Prevo, and the entire Board of Trustees but especially the dedicated and wise members of our search committee who have already committed many hours to this process and whose dedicated service this year is critical to Liberty University’s future,” said Tinney. “We ask for the students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of Liberty University to pray that God will guide us to the right leader for HIS university. Training Champions for Christ has never been as important as it is today.”

Price Harding (Chairman at CarterBaldwin) and Bill Peterson (Partner at CarterBaldwin) will co-lead the search.  Mr. Peterson, a 1996 graduate of Liberty University, can be reached at bpeterson@carterbaldwin.com, and Mr. Harding can be reached at pharding@carterbaldwin.com.

ABOUT LIBERTY UNIVERSITY

Liberty University, founded in 1971, is the world’s premier Christian university, one of the largest private, nonprofit universities in the nation, and the largest university in Virginia. Located near the Blue Ridge Mountains on more than 7,000 acres in Lynchburg, Va., Liberty offers more than 700 unique programs of study from the certificate to the doctoral level. Over 450 programs are offered online. Utilizing its world-class infrastructure and Christian faculty, Liberty’s mission is to Train Champions for Christ with the values, knowledge, and skills essential for impacting tomorrow’s world.

ABOUT CARTERBALDWIN

CarterBaldwin is a retained executive search firm that partners with leading corporations, organizations, and institutions to help them build exceptional leadership teams. Practice leaders have more than 100 years of combined executive search experience and are focused on delivering excellent results tailored to the unique goals and needs of every client. With C-level corporate search as its foundation, CarterBaldwin also has a robust practice serving non-profit and academic sectors. The company is listed among the Top 50, the Private Equity Power 75, and the Top 40 higher education search firms by Hunt Scanlon and has been recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms.