The South Dakota Board of Regents appointed a search committee to recruit and evaluate potential candidates for the next president of South Dakota State University. 

The search process will begin later in January. The SDBOR  is working with the Witt/Kieffer executive search firm to review candidates. 

The next president is expected to be named in May, with the expectation that the president will start around July 1. 

President David Chicoine announced in mid-December 2015 his plans to step down as president after serving for nine years. Chicoine plans to apply for a sabbatical leave in fall 2016 and return to faculty responsibilities in the Department of Economics in spring 2017. 

 The search committee consists of campus and community members. They include: 

 Faculty 

Allen Jones, professor, Lohr College of Engineering; Mary Moeller, associate professor, College of Education and Human Services; Scott Smalley, assistant professor, Education and Human Sciences

 Administration

Nancy Fahrenwald, dean and professor of nursing; Mary Kay Helling, associate vice president, Academic Affairs

 Professional staff 

Suzanne Stluka, director of Extension Food and Families Program

 Civil Service 

Marla Mitchell, Facilities and Services purchasing and inventory lead

 Students 

 Madelin Mack, senior English major; Shaheed Shihan, graduate student, data science major

 Community members 

Carla Gatzke, vice president for human resources, Daktronics; and Dana Dykhouse, chief executive officer, First PREMIER Bank

 SDSU Foundation 

Kim Tyler, chair, SDSU Foundation Board of Governors; Jerry Lohr, president, J. Lohr Properties and the J. Lohr Winery

 Alumni 

Kevin Tetzlaff, president/CEO, First Bank and Trust, Brookings

 Peer 

Heather Wilson, president of South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

 At-Large 

Tony Venhuizen, chief of staff to Gov. Dennis Daugaard.