Gateway Technical College’s search for its next president just hit a turning point. An ad hoc presidential search committee has now advanced a slate of semifinalists, moving the national hunt into the interview stage as the college works to land a permanent leader by the start of the 2026-27 fiscal year.
Candidates Trimmed From a Crowded Field
The committee started big and cut hard. The group whittled a pool of 64 applicants down to a smaller slate of semifinalists after reviewing application materials from across the country, according to Milwaukee Business Journal. Reporter Logan Hanson notes that both trustees and community representatives took part in the review before deciding who would move forward.
Interviews on the Calendar and Public Input in Play
The Board’s official meeting notice confirms that semifinalist interviews are locked in for March 30 through April 1 and that the ad hoc committee met Monday to choose which applicants advanced. The board packet also spells out that the committee may go into closed session under Wisconsin law and lists contact information for members of the public who want to submit comments, with all of that detail laid out in the meeting notice.
Per Gateway Technical College.
Interim President Holds the Line
While the search heats up, day-to-day leadership is not in limbo. Morgan Phillips, who stepped in as interim president last summer, will keep steering the college as trustees vet semifinalists and line up the next round of decisions. Phillips’ appointment and the early search steps were previously detailed in local public radio coverage as the board launched its national recruitment effort.
Per WGTD.
Search Firm, Timeline and the Wish List
Behind the scenes, a formal search profile lays out what Gateway is looking for and how it plans to get there. The document notes that AGB Search is assisting the ad hoc committee and that Gateway’s goal is to have a new president seated by the beginning of the 2026-27 fiscal year. The profile also spells out the application requirements, the leadership traits the board wants to see and how finalist interviews and community forums are expected to unfold as the search moves ahead.
Per Gateway Technical College.
What Happens Next
From here, trustees will use the upcoming interviews to narrow the semifinalists down to a smaller group of finalists, with public-facing events likely to come before a final hire is named. Based on the board materials and local reporting, the next two weeks should determine which candidates survive the cut and how the college structures opportunities for community engagement before making its choice.
