In an era of relentless change, colleges and universities need to be nimble—making informed decisions quickly. At times like these you need a trusted partner, one who understands your needs and can connect you to an experienced and vetted network of talented higher education professionals. For nearly 30 years, The Registry has successfully placed more senior interim leaders on campuses across the nation than any other organization. Whether you are searching for the best-matched interim to guide your institution through a challenging transition or you would like to join the ranks of our membership, we invite you to explore and learn more about us. We think you will see why The Registry is the nation's Gold Standard in interim placements.
If you currently have a vacancy and would like to explore filling it with one of our 1,000-plus veteran executives, click the appropriate box below.
If you would like to join our membership of veteran, higher education executives, click the appropriate box below.
The Registry’s success matching the right interim executives to the right institutions is made possible by its burgeoning membership of more than 1,000 veteran executives; and is enhanced by the development of—and adherence to—the following six best practices for interim engagements:
The Registry’s success in delivering the right interim leaders to the right institutions is built upon a proven, four-step process:
We work closely with you to gain the knowledge and insight to find candidates who fit your goals. They will review materials and consult directly with your board chair, president and other key decision makers.
We offer a pool deep with talent. Our members are already vetted by and contracted to The Registry and can be ready on short notice to assume interim positions.
We help you make the right choice. A Registry principal will travel to campus with your chosen finalists to participate in a customized and collegial selection process. Excluding travel expenses, the process is pro-bono.
We help you manage expectations. A Registry principal will develop an expectations document that identifies your challenges and priorities and establishes accountability for your new interim administrator.
“An interim gives us the time to be deliberative in that search process because we know that the person who is filling that role from The Registry is not just keeping the seat warm. They are experienced in that role and they help move the agenda… It also helps to give us the opportunity to have somebody who, because of their own credibility and experience, can provide us with some objective advice. That person can, with setting all politics aside, tell us what they think of the people, the organization, really any topic, and you know that the advice that you’re getting is entirely objective.”
"[The Interim] worked very effectively with the incoming president, consulted with him on continuing changes after the new president had been announced and did all he could to enable his successor to assume leadership with confidence. For the third time, I would recommend him without question. If possible, we would designate him as Interim President Emeritus for his outstanding work."
“The level of quality of service from The Registry is similar to the Ritz Carlton or Disney. Whenever we have had a question or a comment, The Registry and the personnel associated with The Registry have been very quick to respond, very quick to provide answers and have been very professional in dealing with us. We have been able to move the process forward quickly and efficiently because of the professionalism of The Registry.”
"Importantly, [the Interim] provided the leadership and management needed to oversee the Advancement division. He did this with a high level of collaboration, professionalism and data-informed decision making. He was instrumental in overseeing the year-end fundraising goals and conducted a staff retreat which set the tone and plans for the next fiscal year, setting a sound stage for the permanent Vice President’s arrival. He was a collaborative partner with the President’s Cabinet and developed several policies which had been needed in Institutional Advancement. I found [the Interim] to exceed expectations with his leadership and establishing a new tone for the entire area under his responsibility."
“I thought the process [with The Registry] was really easy. What was really exciting to me was while we didn’t launch a national search, it felt like a national search…we still had a portfolio of very qualified candidates…to the point that it was really difficult for us to make the decision. After talking and sharing what we needed, The Registry sent top level candidates to chose from which made us feel much more confident about the process…we knew we were in good hands.”
"The mission of the Registry, as well as its measured outcomes, is an outstanding "value added" to the American higher education enterprise. I was blessed to benefit from the many and valued prior experiences of a former president and provost, who served in an interim capacity at my institution. My Registry colleague was able to hit the ground running and bring all the talent and experiences of prior positions to bear. Our entire college community benefited from the one year Registry appointment that ended up as a two-plus year assignment."
“In some instances, it’s possible to bring in an interim who has particular or unique experiences that help us get through a particular transition at an institution…going to an entity like The Registry for the interim has made a ton of strategic sense for our institution… One piece when working with The Registry impressed me right from the start was the organization’s willingness to work within the constraints of the procurement challenges that we face as a state entity and with state-wide rules and regulations on contract limits…The Registry was very flexible.”
"I would use the Registry again in a heartbeat. It was, as it turns out, just the perfect partnership and provided value to the university far, far in excess of the standard fees requested."
“It became very clear to me, honestly within the first few months [of my Interim’s placement], that it was going to take me more time to figure out what I needed in the permanent position, and I was not yet ready to really launch a search. So, I worked with The Registry…and extended it into that second year…We had a number of crises that we needed to manage and of course, Covid. That third year proved to be absolutely critical given everything else the university, leadership and faculty were having to do.”
"Several SUNY campuses have used the Registry to fill immediate leadership needs with success. I applaud the Registry for their careful selection of experienced leaders to its ranks and providing this valuable service to campuses that need it."
“The Registry has helped us with the Provost role, VP of Enrollment, VP of Human Resources as well as our VP for Institutional Advancement interim roles…I feel very confident in the quality of service and support we receive through The Registry and I’m incredibly pleased by the talent in terms of the pool of candidates and also ultimately who we secured in an interim role.”
"I want to thank you personally for the kind attention you paid to helping us find an interim candidate with the abilities we needed. I have found the entire experience working with you and your team at the Registry to be very professional and enjoyable. Clearly we couldn’t have had a better experience or found a more qualified and competent interim without your help. Thank you."
“In large part because of the great vetting process and because of the robust interview process, both of our Registry placements have been excellent mission fits to the institution, and they’ve also been excellent colleagues on my President’s Counsel. Here are two folks who have come in from the outside, they’ve been tasked with specific things, they have to get up to speed very quickly…and they’ve done a good job of doing that. They’ve also fit in seamlessly with the President’s Counsel…The Registry colleagues have become good colleagues, in some cases good friends, and there has been a nice meshing of the personalities and a nice mixing of the group.”
"This was the first time our college used the Registry to fill an administrative position. I was very pleased with the quality of the candidates that were identified for us, and I had no hesitation in filling a subsequent interim positions through the same process."
RAS President Kevin Matthews discussed transitioning from retirement to interim leadership with Dr. Barbara Lyman, PhD, Interim Provost and VP for Academic Affairs at SUNY New Paltz at the 2021 American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) Chief Academic Officers Meeting. Don't miss their insightful discussion!
