R. KIRBY GODSEY, Chairman, is also President Emeritus and Chancellor of Mercer University.  During his long and distinguished tenure as president of Mercer, he led in the development of six new schools (Medicine, Business and Economics, Engineering, Education, Theology, and Music), as well as a university press and numerous community partnerships.  Enrollment grew to over 7,000 and the endowment grew to over $200 million, with another $200 million committed in future gifts.  The annual budget is approximately $175 million.

Dr Godsey is a member of the Executive Council of the College Commission for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and serves on the Executive Committee of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. 

Dr. Godsey earned his undergraduate degree in history and religion from Samford University, a master of arts in philosophy from the University of Alabama, a master of divinity and doctor of theology degrees from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. in philosophy from Tulane University.

O. JON McRAE, President, founded the firm in 1968. Since 1984, he has focused in higher education and has developed a successful national practice in the not-for-profit sector. His search experience includes hundreds of presidential and cabinet level assignments with both not-for-profit institutions and for-profit corporations. By combining professionalism with a personal and intuitive style, he provides search counsel for governing boards, presidents, and their search committees.

He is a long-standing and active member of the Executive Search Roundtable of the American Council on Education and is supportive of the Association of Governing Boards and the Council of Independent Colleges. A member of the Board of Visitors for the Georgia Foundation for Independent Colleges, he is also an active Presbyterian and Rotarian.

His earlier career included service as an infantry officer, as a manager and lender with Wachovia Bank, and as a sales manager with the Pelton & Crane Company. A native of North Carolina, he graduated from Davidson College with a Bachelor of Arts degree.

MICHAEL S. WITHERSPOON, Senior Vice President, has worked with over 200 colleges to improve the effectiveness of admissions, retention and student service efforts by using technology to support collaboration and strengthen campus communities.  He was also a key industry figure as university student health services stepped up to managing HIPAA regulations and other reporting requirements in the constantly changing world of healthcare technology.

Over the last several years Mike has been a frequent speaker at higher education conferences, including the Council of Independent Colleges, NACAC, and the National Small College Enrollment Conference.  He has spoken at regional conferences as well as in online seminars.  Mike’s expertise on building consensus, strengthening communities and achieving group goals continues to be in demand.

Early in his career, Mike was active in several start-up technology ventures.  He is a long-time Atlanta resident, a native of Florida and graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi.

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PATRICIA S. ANDERSON, Senior Associate, served as Provost at Azusa Pacific University and Fresno Pacific University, from which she recently retired.  Her areas of expertise include strategic planning, budgeting, faculty development, and development of off-campus centers. 

Dr. Anderson currently serves on the Eligibility Committee of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges: Senior Commission and on the Board of Trustees of an independent college. She has served for six years on the Academic Commission of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU), as well as serving for many years as a resource leader the CCCU Educational Leadership Development Institute.  She continues to teach on-line each year.

Dr. Anderson earned her Baccalaureate degree, magna cum laude from the University of Minnesota, and Master of Arts and Doctorate in Philosophy in Psychology from the Claremont Graduate School.  Anderson had post-doctorates at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois and The University of Michigan. 

THOMAS G. ESTES, Senior Associate, served two tenures as Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration at Mercer University.  He managed budget growth from $70 million to $191 million, endowment growth from $89 million to $172 million, and construction of more than $130 million in new facilities. Prior to his Mercer appointment in 1992, Estes served for 16 years as vice president for business and finance at the University of Southern Mississippi. He was also a professor of accounting at USM and at Mercer.  Estes earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from USM, a master’s in accounting from Oklahoma State University, and a Ph.D. in business from the University of Arkansas.  Estes has held leadership positions in the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the National Association of College and University Business Officers and the Southern Association of College and University Business Officers, serving as that organization’s president in 1994-95.

DAVID M. GRING, Senior Associate, is President Emeritus of Roanoke College where he served for 15 years. During his tenure the undergraduate enrollment increased 22% and the endowment grew from $25 million to nearly $100 million.  In 2004 the college completed its 50th consecutive year of balanced financial operations and installed the Nu of Virginia Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.  Prior appointments include Assistant Dean, Associate Dean, and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Concordia College-Moorhead, MN; and a faculty position in biology at Lebanon Valley College, Annville, Pennsylvania.

Dr. Gring has served on the Boards of The Council of Independent Colleges, the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges, and was a member of the Council of College Presidents of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

A native of Reading, Pennsylvania, Dr. Gring is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Franklin and Marshall College and holds both masters and Ph.D. degrees from Indiana University-Bloomington.

RONALD R. INGLE, Senior Associate, is President Emeritus of Coastal Carolina University where he served as President for 14 years. Dr. Ingle was named the University’s first President when it became an independent state university. Under his leadership, enrollments more than doubled, and the institution’s endowment increased from $3.4 million to approximately $13 million.

Dr. Ingle has served as a member of the Southern Regional Education Board, the Board of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, and the Commission on Colleges of SACS.

Dr. Ingle is a graduate of Wofford College. He received his Masters Degree from Florida State University and his Ph.D. in psychology from The Ohio State University.

WILLIAM W. KELLY, Senior Associate, retired as President Emeritus of The Georgia Foundation for Independent Colleges, having previously served as President of Mary Baldwin College and Transylvania University.  As a college, foundation, and association chief executive officer, Dr. Kelly gained invaluable experience in executive search and recruitment.  His presence significantly extends our reach.

Dr. Kelly earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the Virginia Military Institute, where he was a Distinguished Military Graduate, and his Masters and Ph.D. degrees in English from Duke University.  He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Omicron Delta Kappa.  A specialist in Southern Literature, he has taught at VMI, the United States Air Force Academy, and Michigan State University, where he also served as Director of the Honors College.

Dr. Kelly served as Chair of the Board of the Alabama Humanities Foundation and the Georgia Humanities Council, both in affiliation with the National Endowment for the Humanities.  He also served as the Presiding Officer of the national Foundation for Independent Higher Education, as well as a Senior Advisor for Connexia LLC and James Tower. 

ROGER H. MARTIN , Senior Associate, is President and Professor of History emeritus at Randolph-Macon College, in Ashland Virginia.  During his 9 year tenure, he managed the development of an innovative general education requirement, completed a successful $52 million capital campaign, and saw the college’s endowment grow from $40 million to $115 million. Prior appointments include 11 years as President of Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Associate Dean of the Divinity School and Lecturer on Church History at Harvard University, together with faculty and administrative positions at Middlebury College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and New York University.

Dr. Martin served as chair of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference and the Council of Independent Colleges while in Virginia. Today he is President of the British Schools and Universities Foundation in New York City. He has written extensively on the president’s first year, and since 2002 counsels new presidents during the first six months of their appointment. A native of New York City, Dr. Martin holds bachelors degrees from Drew and Yale and a doctorate from Oxford. He is the author of Racing Odysseus: A College President Becomes a Freshman Again (University of California Press: 2008)

KENNETH B. ORR, Senior Associate, is President Emeritus of Presbyterian College, where he led efforts that increased the endowment from six million to sixty million dollars. Previously he served as President of the Presbyterian School of Christian Education.

Dr. Orr has served on the Boards of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, the Council of Independent Colleges and Universities, and as President of the National Association of Presbyterian Colleges. By appointment of Secretary of Education Richard Riley, he served for eight years on the National Advisory Committee for Institutional Quality and Integrity of the U.S. Department of Education.

A native of Charlotte and a graduate of Duke University, he earned two graduate degrees in theology from Union Theological Seminary in Virginia and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan's Center for the Study of Higher Education.

 

Felicia Hardin Lewis, Executive Assistant & Search Coordinator

Felicia Hardin Lewis, Executive Assistant and Search Coordinator, hails from Orange, Texas.  While pursuing her B.A. in Liberal Studies at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, Felicia worked full-time in the Office of the University Registrar as an Information Specialist.  Upon conferral of her degree, she was promoted to the Office Administrator and served as Executive Assistant to the Registrar/Assistant Provost.

David S. Issrakool, Information Technology & Assistant Operations Manager, is a native of Georgia and a graduate of DeVry University. He was among eighteen graduates from a starting class of over 300 who earned a BS in Electronics Engineering Technology. His areas of responsibility include network administration, database management, and computer maintenance.