Regents name Bruce Benson sole finalist for next president
The veil of secrecy surrounding the search for the next CU president lifted late Wednesday night as the CU Board of Regents declared Bruce Benson the sole finalist.
Ken McConnellogue, spokesman for the Office of the President, said Benson must now travel and meet with faculty, administration and students at each of the CU campuses.
The regents will vote after a period of at least two weeks to decide if Benson will become the 22nd president of the university system.
McConnellogue said the regents must wait a minimum of 14 days, but he expects the process to take longer than that.
Benson, 69, ran as the Republican candidate for governor in 1994, but lost to Roy Romer. He also served as chairman of Colorado’s Republican party.
CU spokesman Bronson Hilliard stressed Benson’s long-standing connection to the university.
“He is a valued supporter and donor to the institution,” Hilliard said. “He is also a graduate of CU, so he understands the institution on a deeper, emotional level.”
The regents’ vote occurred after a long meeting with the Presidential Search Committee earlier Wednesday night. The committee voted in favor of Benson as the sole finalist.
McConnellogue said the past four university presidents have been named sole finalists by the regents, and all four have been approved in the final vote.
President Hank Brown announced his retirement in January 2007. The resignation takes effect Feb. 1.
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Ally Demos at demos@colorado.edu
