WARRENSBURG, Mo.– The University of Central Missouri Board of Governors voted Oct. 29 to enter a contract with Ken Hutchinson, president, Hutchinson Consulting LLC, Columbia, to lead the search for the university’s next president.

The vote was unanimous by those attending the meeting. Two of the three members who had voted to retain President Aaron Podolefsky did not attend this meeting.

Hutchinson served 42 years in higher education administration in Missouri, retiring at the end of 2007 as vice president of human resources at the University of Missouri.

An advisor and consultant on previous university presidential searches in Missouri, Hutchinson has experience with regard to executive performance programs. Hutchinson was elected as a Fellow in the National Academy of Human Resources in 2000.

He maintains a contractual relationship with the leading national search firm of Jerry H. Baker and Associates.

The presidential search process will be "highly collaborative and involve input from all major stakeholder groups," according to Richard Phillips, president of the UCM Board of Governors.