Search for Two VPs Nears End

President Neil L. Rudenstine will likely name two new vice presidents by early next year, with one of the announcements expected sometime in the next several weeks, officials said yesterday.

The University is entering the final stages of its eight-month search for a new vice president for government, community and public affairs. The position is one of two top-level vacancies left by the resignations of two veteran administrators.

Four members of a screening committee headed by Vice President and General Counsel Margaret H. Marshall have spent the last few months reviewing candidates solicited by Isaacson Miller, a Boston executive search firm.

Acting Vice President for Government, Community and Public Affairs Jane H. Corlette said the screening committee has narrowed its list of candidates to a handful. Corlette said the candidates will visit Harvard over the next few weeks to meet with administrators.

"I imagine [the interview process] will take more than a month or so," she said. Corlette, who is not on the screening committee, said she is not interested in staying on as the permanent vice president. She said she does not believe the committee is considering any internal candidates for the job.

Marshall yesterday would not confirm Corlette's assertion that the committee is down to a short list of candidates and declined to comment on whether internal candidates are still under consideration. "There is no [short] list," she said.

But Marshall said she hopes to present the committee's final suggestions to Rudenstine within "the next number of weeks."

Officials had hoped to have the seat--empty since former Vice President for Government, Community and Public Affairs John H. Shattuck left early this year to join the Clinton administration--filled by early summer. Among the vice president's responsibilities are acting as the University'schief lobbyist in Washington and supervising theHarvard News Office.

Other members of the screening committee--whoinclude Vice President Sally H. Zeckhauser,University Secretary and Assistant to thePresident Michael W. Roberts and Kennedy SchoolDean Albert Carnesale--did not return phone callsyesterday.

Meanwhile, the University this week initiatedits search to fill the post of outgoing VicePresident for Finance Robert H. Scott. Scott, theUniversity's chief financial officer, announcedearlier this month that he is stepping down topursue "new challenges," though he said he willlikely stay on until a successor is named.

On Monday, Harvard formally retained a leadingNew York executive search firm to recruitcandidates for the financial post.

The firm, Russell Reynolds Associates, wasinvolved in the 1990 search which lead to theappointment of Harvard Management CompanyPresident Jack R. Meyer, who oversees theUniversity's endowment.

Malcolm MacKay, a Russell Reynolds official whowill lead the search, said he hopes to have acandidate identified within three months, thoughhe said the process could take longer.

MacKay said he will fly to Boston on Friday todiscuss with Rudenstine what characteristics thenew vice president should have

Other members of the screening committee--whoinclude Vice President Sally H. Zeckhauser,University Secretary and Assistant to thePresident Michael W. Roberts and Kennedy SchoolDean Albert Carnesale--did not return phone callsyesterday.

Meanwhile, the University this week initiatedits search to fill the post of outgoing VicePresident for Finance Robert H. Scott. Scott, theUniversity's chief financial officer, announcedearlier this month that he is stepping down topursue "new challenges," though he said he willlikely stay on until a successor is named.

On Monday, Harvard formally retained a leadingNew York executive search firm to recruitcandidates for the financial post.

The firm, Russell Reynolds Associates, wasinvolved in the 1990 search which lead to theappointment of Harvard Management CompanyPresident Jack R. Meyer, who oversees theUniversity's endowment.

Malcolm MacKay, a Russell Reynolds official whowill lead the search, said he hopes to have acandidate identified within three months, thoughhe said the process could take longer.

MacKay said he will fly to Boston on Friday todiscuss with Rudenstine what characteristics thenew vice president should have