leadership search for higher education

Spelman Johnson is a premier executive search firm exclusively committed to serving higher education.

Spelman Johnson is a premier executive search firm exclusively committed to serving higher education.

Recruiting talented leaders on behalf of the institutions we serve, our success is strengthened by our deep and diverse relationships and our investment in the development and engagement of a leadership pipeline. Since 1991, we’ve helped hundreds of higher education institutions identify outstanding professionals, pairing exceptional leaders with positions across all facets of the academy. Spelman Johnson is nationally recognized for our thought leadership on issues of equity and diversity and for our commitment to inclusion in higher education.

during our twenty-eight year history, Spelman Johnson has cultivated and supported a diverse, national network of professionals of color within higher education.

The relationships we establish in the course of our work

with multi-cultural professional groups and associations are part of an overall corporate commitment to the advancement of underrepresented professionals within higher education. Our placements show our strong commitment to the advancement of underrepresented persons within the field of higher education.

54%

of our searches have been completed with the hire of a woman

26%

of our positions hired have been persons of color

62%

of the women we have placed throughout our history remain in their positions or have been promoted to higher positions within the client institution

68%

of the persons of color remain in their positions or have been promoted within the client institution

News and Resources

Recommended Professional Associations

1/30/2020 | Ellen Heffernan

There are many national associations and professional development programs designed to support your professional growth. Here are just a few we suggest. American Association of Blacks in Higher Education (AABHE) AABHE drives leadership development, access and vital issues concerning African Americans in higher education. The purpose of the Leadership and Mentoring Institute (LMI) is to… Continue reading >

Executive Coach: Brad Borland

1/28/2020 | Ellen Heffernan

Brad Borland Executive Coach, Facilitator, Author - Bandbox Advisory Brad’s career spans 30 years of diverse executive coaching, leadership and organization development, succession planning and retirement transition coaching experience with Fortune 500 firms, universities, collegiate associations and other industry leading organizations. Prior to founding his own firm, Brad was Vice President with a global, Fortune… Continue reading >

Serving our Students Through Better Assessment

1/28/2020
Jason B. Pina, Ed.D. — Vice President for Student Affairs at Ohio University

Entering into 2020, many professionals engage in self-reflection regarding their professional development and preparing for possible ascension to director roles. While our profession is fortunate to have several opportunities to attend conferences and institutes as well as the opportunity to read deeply in specific areas, the purpose of this blog is to highlight an oft… Continue reading >