Four finalists named for U of M interim president

Board of Regents advanced finalists following a special meeting to review applicants for the position

Following a thorough discussion of de-identified candidates who applied to serve as the University of Minnesota interim president, the Board of Regents announced today that four candidates have been selected as finalists and invited to interview for the position at an upcoming public Board meeting.

“Many exceptional internal and external candidates expressed their interest to serve the U of M as interim president, representing some of the best Minnesota has to offer. We are humbled that so many experienced candidates stepped forward to serve the University and all Minnesotans,” said Board Chair Janie Mayeron. “This University already benefits from an exceptional senior leadership team and strong leaders at every level, on all five of our campuses. We are excited to interview these finalists and add another highly qualified leader as we continue the strong progress we have made toward MPact 2025 goals and in our day-to-day work on behalf of students and the state.”

The finalists chosen by the Board emerged from a group of 21 candidates who applied to serve as interim president. Those finalists are:

• Jeffrey M. Ettinger, chair of the Hormel Foundation Board of Directors and former chief executive officer of Hormel Foods Corporation
• Myron Frans, senior vice president for Finance and Operations at the University of Minnesota
• Mary Holz-Clause, chancellor of the University of Minnesota Crookston
• E. Thomas Sullivan, president emeritus and professor of Law and Political Science at The University of Vermont and former provost and senior vice president at the University of Minnesota

Additional details about finalists, including their application materials, are posted on the Interim President Search website.

As part of the Board’s discussion about candidates and finalists, Mayeron and other Board members noted that they are grateful for the input received about the interim president from members of the U of M community and Minnesotans from around the state. The Board continues to welcome feedback through its online comment form or at [email protected].

At Thursday’s meeting, Mayeron indicated the Board’s intention to have a special meeting as early as Monday to publicly interview finalists and decide who it will appoint as interim president. That meeting will be publicly noticed soon. 

For more information, including future meeting times, visit regents.umn.edu.