President Gibralter Named Finalist in Hood College Presidential Search

Frostburg State University President Jonathan Gibralter has been named a finalist for Hood College’s president, according to Hood College’s website.

Gibralter, who has served as FSU’s president since 2006, will visit Hood College on Wednesday, Feb. 4  and Thursday, Feb. 5. While visiting the college, Gibralter will meet with Hood’s current president, Ronald J. Volpe, who has been Hood’s president since 2001. Volpe announced last May that he will retire this upcoming summer. Gibralter will also meet with the Board of Trustees, as well as faculty, staff, and students.

Hood’s presidential search began in Sept. 2014, when the Presidential Search Committee met with representatives of R.H. Perry & Associates, a recruiting firm that is well-respected for assisting in the hiring of higher education executives..

On December 19, 2014, the Presidential Search Committee and R.H. Perry & Associates selected the top 16 applicants. Nine of these applicants interviewed with Hood, and then three finalists were selected. These three finalists will visit Hood between Feb. 1 and Feb. 5.

“The college [Hood College] is in an advantageous position to excel after President Volpe’s lengthy and successful tenure, and I would be honored to build upon his accomplishments,” wrote Gibralter in his cover letter.

Gibralter also wrote, “I am ready for a new challenge and would love the opportunity to be as a member of the blaze family.”

In the past, Gibralter has applied for other jobs as university president, including Florida Atlantic University in 2010, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in 2012, and Northern Kentucky University, also in 2012. According to an FSU press release, Gibralter withdrew from the presidential searches at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and Northern Kentucky University.

“While I was honored to be nominated for these positions, I just feel in my heart that this would not be a good time to leave Frostburg State University,” said Gibralter in the press release. “We are in the midst of implementing our new strategic plan, and we’re just beginning a market research study and branding process. There’s a lot yet to be accomplished here, and I don’t want to disrupt this University,” Gibralter said.

He added, “I want you all to know that I truly love this university, and I face the coming years with the same level of commitment I have had since the day I first arrived.”

Located in Frederick, MD, “Hood is an independent liberal arts college known for its outstanding faculty, research opportunities and experiential learning,” according to its website. “Since becoming fully coeducational, Hood’s enrollment has grown 56 percent to a record high of 2,522 students (1,448 undergraduates, 1,074 seeking master’s degrees or certificates); enrollment has increased each of the past six years.”