University of North Texas System Board of Regents Chooses Wheless Partners to Lead National Search for UNT System Chancellor

    DALLAS, TX, April 10, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The University of North Texas System Board of Regents announced that it has selected the national executive search and leadership consulting firm, Wheless Partners, to lead its search for a new Chancellor. Earlier this month, current UNTS Chancellor Lee F. Jackson announced his retirement plans, effective sometime after his contract expires on August 31, 2017.

Wheless Partners was chosen by the Board for its track record of success, having led multiple University System CEO and President searches, including those conducted in the state of Texas over the last several years for institutions such as Texas Tech University System and The University of Texas System.

Mike JR Wheless, Division President, who has led multiple Chancellor and President searches across the country, including the System Chancellor searches for both The University of Texas System and Texas Tech University System, and Scott Watson, Chief Corporate Officer, who has led more than a dozen senior level searches on behalf of the University of North Texas, will serve as lead consultants to the UNT Board of Regents.

Expert advisors Dr. Robert Witt, Chancellor Emeritus of the University of Alabama; Dr. John Rudley, who has served as interim Chancellor and President at the University of Houston System as well as former President of Texas Southern University, one of the nation's largest HBCU's; Lisa J. Marks, former CEO with an international nonprofit, who has led some of the largest academic and non-profit initiatives in the country; and Dr. Kiko Suarez, former innovation executive with Lumina Foundation, whose mission is to raise the percentage of Americans with quality post secondary credentials, are among the firm's higher education practice team.

Nominations and applications are encouraged and should be directed to Wheless Partners at [email protected].

ABOUT THE UNT SYSTEM

Boosting the Texas economy by nearly $5.2 billion each year, The University of North Texas System (UNT System or UNTS) includes the University of North Texas in Denton (UNT), the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC) in Fort Worth and the University of North Texas at Dallas (UNTD). The UNT System Administration is based in Downtown Dallas. The UNT System also provides high-quality, innovative, and affordable legal education in downtown Dallas at the University of North Texas at Dallas College of Law.

The three independent universities of the UNT System have combined enrollment of just over 42,000 students across five major teaching locations, including each main campus, as well as Frisco and Downtown Dallas. The UNT System has a $1.2 billion annual consolidated budget, employs roughly 10,000 people at its various locations within the rapidly growing North Texas region.

UNT System component institutions, responding to demand in the region and the state, are among Texas's fastest growing institutions of higher education. In Fall 2016, 43,384 students enrolled at UNT System institutions - a 56 percent increase from Fall 2000. By 2020, enrollment at UNT System institutions is projected to increase to more than 48,000 students. Over the past decade, the number of degrees awarded each year has increased 49 percent to 9,243 in 2015.

ABOUT WHELESS PARTNERS

Founded in 1986, Wheless Partners is one of the nation's largest executive search firms with associates based in major cities including New York, Houston, Atlanta, Birmingham, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Denver, Phoenix, Indianapolis and Minneapolis.

As a retained search firm with over 30 years of experience, Wheless Partners serve clients in multiple industry sectors - academia being one of the largest practices within the firm.

Firm partners develop long-term, strategic partnerships with clients--over 75% of the firm's engagements come from existing clients.

Wheless Partners provides an array of services including executive search, leadership consulting, succession planning, and board practice & recruitment and have served global Fortune 500 companies, mid-size enterprises, leading public and private institutions, investment portfolio companies, not-for-profit foundations and smaller entrepreneurial startups across multiple industry sectors and functions.

Find out more by visiting www.WhelessPartners.com or Call Toll Free: + 1 800-448-0926 or Send Us an Email: [email protected]

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