Firm picked to lead search for next MSU president

East Lansing – The presidential search committee at Michigan State University has selected a woman- and minority-owned firm to lead the search for the embattled school’s next president.

The East Lansing university announced Tuesday that Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates was selected.

Dianne Byrum, a Michigan State trustee and co-chairwoman of the committee, says in a statement that the firm’s “proven ability to identify and recruit candidates from diverse backgrounds is particularly helpful for organizations seeking change.”

Melanie Foster, MSU trustee and presidential search committee co-chair, added: “Their expertise is grounded in their firsthand knowledge of higher education and in their team’s understanding of the unique culture and challenges of each institution with which they work."

The team that will work with MSU will be led by Shelly Weiss Storbeck, managing partner of Storbeck/Pimentel, along with partners R. Thomas Fitch and Susan VanGilder.

Representatives from the firm will join presidential search committee members at a campus community input session from 6-7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 10, in the Big Ten Room A of the Kellogg Center. Another session will be held 6-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 11, in the Lincoln Room of Kellogg Center.

Michigan State is embarking on its first presidential search in decades following the Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal.

After Lou Anna Simon resigned in January amid the fallout, Michigan State named former Gov. John Engler as interim president.

Nassar worked for Michigan State and USA Gymnastics, which trains Olympians. He is imprisoned for molesting scores of athletes and possessing child pornography.

Read more: MSU plans to hire next president by June 2019

The Associated Press contributed to this story.