Regents will pay presidential search firm more than $100K

The University of Colorado’s Board of Regents announced Monday it has selected a firm to assist in the search for President Bruce Benson’s replacement.

Benson, CU’s longest serving president in six decades, will retire in July.

The regents selected Wheless Partners for the search, and the university will pay the firm a $99,000 flat professional fee, up to $25,000 in additional fees for expenses such as advertising, and additional money for travel expenses, said Patrick O’Rourke, CU vice president of university counsel and secretary to the Board of Regents. The regents could later increase the $25,000 cap, depending on the firm’s advertising strategy, O’Rourke said.

Previously, CU paid Storbeck/Pimental and Associates $189,299 in the search that chose Benson, and Heidrick and Struggles $133,682 in the search that chose Hank Brown.

Wheless Partners is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., but has a Denver office, according to its website. In 2016, the regents hired the firm for a $50,000 fee and up to $10,000 in expenses to provide strategy and leadership advice at a regents retreat. Topics of discussion included the regents’ time, committee structures and relationships with each other and CU employees.

“Wheless Partners has an excellent track record of success in placing effective, dynamic leaders,” Board of Regents chair Sue Sharkeyc said in the news release. “With Wheless Partners’ deep nationwide network and leadingedge business and search model, Wheless provides coverage across education, government and all industries in order to find a gifted CEO to lead the CU system.”

As of Monday morning, about 130 people had applied or had been nominated to serve on the presidential search committee.