Mandel Announces Search Committee

In a message addressed to the Members of the Dartmouth Community, Board of Trustees Chair Steve Mandel ’78 announced today the formation of a Presidential Search Committee charged with selecting the eighteenth link in the Wheelock Succession.  In his communiqué, Mandel identified charter trustees Bill Helman ’80 and Diana Taylor ’77 as the chair and vice chair, respectively, of the search committee, taking care to stress that this will be an “open and inclusive search,” respectful of candidates’ “confidentiality.”  Per the press release, this search will be modeled after the previous one, responsible for Jim Kim, and representative of “Dartmouth’s key constituencies.”

Helman was described as having “extensive experience in recruiting leadership for a range of for-profit and nonprofit organizations,” presumably stemming from his time with Greylock Partners, a silicon valley venture capital investment firm.  In the announcement, Helman praises the Kim administration for having both “accomplished a great deal,” and “laid a strong foundation” over the “past three years.” 

Taylor is a former public finance investment banker of Wall Street giants Smith Barney, Lehman Brothers, and DLJ, and was also a founding partner of the boutique firm M.R. Beal & Co., which is representing Facebook in its upcoming IPO.   Presently, she is employed by Wolfensohn & Co., a consulting and direct investment concern specializing in emerging markets, which was founded by Sir James Wolfensohn, the former ninth president of the World Bank.  In recent months, she has gone on the record critical of President Obama, and of Dartmouth’s own Sen. Kirsen Gillibrand ’88 (D-NY), having publically discussed challenging Gillibrand’s seat in this year’s election.  Ms. Taylor is perhaps best known, however, as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s long time girlfriend, a post she has held since 2000.

We at the Review of course will closely follow the process, and wish Trustees Helman and Taylor the very best in their search for a dedicated and lasting President of the College.

–Sam A. Ticker