Bowles primed as next leader

Former U.S. Senate candidate Erskine Bowles is the sole finalist for the position of the next president of the UNC system, all but ensuring that he will assume the post Jan. 1.

The UNC presidential search committee, led by Board of Governors Chairman Brad Wilson, announced Bowles as its unanimous choice Thursday, only five months after the committee was formed. President Molly Broad announced her retirement in early April.

The committee made the decision earlier this week, and the full board will meet Monday to vote on the recommendation.

Bowles, a Charlotte businessman and former chief of staff for President Clinton, was named as a possible candidate before the search process even began, garnering endorsements from state legislators and media attention nationwide.

But Wilson said the 13-member committee conducted a full and thorough search that resulted in only one clear recommendation.

"I think we were surprised that we were able to reach a conclusion this early," he said. "Like we have said since the beginning, we would work until we are finished. And it just so happened that we have reached the end this week."

Amanda Devore, former president of the UNC Association of Student Governments and a member of the search committee, also said the time frame of the search is not indicative of a less-than-thorough process.

"The decision was clear," she said. "So we didn't see any need to go any further."

Although the vote wasn't expected until later this year, BOG members say the process was as open to the public as it could be. The board held four public forums at the beginning of the search to solicit public input.

"You cannot perform a search in a personnel matter that's open to the public because you infringe on personal rights," said committee member Ben Ruffin. "I thought we were very open. We laid out the leadership statement. We went around the state and we met with people."

The search firm hired by the committee, Baker-Parker and Associates, examined 80 candidates from across the country, and the committee eventually interviewed five.

Wilson said some of the candidates considered were among the "best leaders in higher education."

And while Bowles' North Carolina roots - he was born in Greensboro and graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill - weren't the determining factor in the recommendation, they did give him an advantage.

"It's not a matter of geography or where your birth certificate says you were born," he said. "What Erskine Bowles has is a deep understanding of the heritage and fabric of North Carolina."

Devore said Bowles' managerial skills also made him the right choice. "You know, in these very tight budget times, the need for a manager of the University system was clear."

Bowles, who headed the Small Business Administration in 1993-94, was named Clinton's chief of staff in 1996 and played an integral role in federal budget negotiations.

"I would point to what I would call his life's portfolio," Wilson said. "He has served at the top levels of business and government in North Carolina and the country."

Bowles also ran unsuccessful campaigns for the U.S. Senate in 2002 and 2004.

Devore said the challenges facing the state are extensive, including a booming population, the loss of manufacturing jobs and the need to compete globally on the list. "He seemed to be the best prepared to be able to face those large challenges."

Devore did admit that the intense media coverage of Bowles' potential candidacy for the post could have limited the number of people who considered the job.

"I have no doubt that people were intimidated by that news coverage," she said, adding that the search firm's job was to take the message to the country that the search was ongoing.

Wilson said the search firm indicated that the rumors influenced the final number of applicants, but not to a debilitating degree.

Bowles, who would be paid $425,000 per year, has received legislative support from both sides of the aisle, including endorsements from Senate President Pro Tem Marc Basnight, D-Dare, and several Senate Republicans.

In an e-mail statement Thursday, Basnight praised the decision by the committee, saying Bowles' leadership will advance the system's goals.

Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.