On August 1–3, 2024, 20 presidents of CIC member institutions and their board chairs gathered in Washington, DC, for CIC’s first Convening of Pioneering Presidents and Board Chairs. This meeting brought together a representative group of presidents who are the “first” in their roles, such as the first woman, the first person of color, the first lay leader of a Catholic institution, the first openly LGBTQ+ president, or some combination of these and other self-proclaimed identities. In some cases, the board chair was also the “first” in the role. During three days of confidential discussions and table exercises, participants shared their experiences, their insights, and their advice—much of which is distilled into this resource. See Appendix 2 for the agenda of the convening.
The opening sessions set the tone for the rest of the convening, as participants shared personal experiences that were often quite painful: unintended insults from board members, implicit and explicit slights from community members, blunt statements from alumni and donors such as “you’re not the kind of president we want, or the kind of president we used to have.” As one president confided, “I never thought I would be a president, because you don’t see a lot of people like me. And some older trustees and alums couldn’t deal with me.” The candor and vulnerability of the presidents and board chairs in the room was admirable—and essential to the quality of the conversations that followed. One participant later described “the frankness of sharing … [as] breathtaking;” another added that “the structure of the program was uniquely effective in terms of encouraging interaction … and prompting insightful and frank inputs from the participants.” A board chair reflected simply, “[Now I understand] the weight on the shoulders of a pioneering president.”
Other sessions of the convening were devoted to practical strategies for supporting new and incoming presidents, such as navigating partner/spousal/family considerations, developing thoughtful communication plans to introduce a new president to the community, and setting realistic goals and targets during the pioneer’s first year. Participants and presenters also addressed best practices for supporting pioneering presidents beyond their introduction to the campus, such as executive coaching, professional development, and visible, continuous support from the board chair and other community leaders. Both formal and informal conversations focused on the unique role of the board chair in supporting and championing a pioneering president in the first year and beyond.