Working with revenues in excess of $45 million, overseeing 1,200 full- and part-time staff, managing 5,100 single students in seven residence halls and supervising 21 food service outlets are only some of the responsibilities of the director of Housing and Food Services (HFS), a position that has been vacant for eight months.

However, Vice Provost for Student Life Eric Godfrey plans to make an offer of employment to one of three final candidates within the week, ending a search that began in early August. The three candidates are Todd Johnson of East Carolina University, Pam Schreiber of Florida Gulf Coast University and Janice Johnson of the University of Cincinnati. All three currently hold positions similar to the HFS director job they are being considered for at their respective universities.

“We at the University of Washington are very thorough with all of our searches, but it is true that at this level we are even more thorough because this is a person with a very large staff and a lot of responsibility,” said Susan Terry, chair of the HFS director search committee. “It is very important that we hire correctly.”

After talking with HFS leadership and students within HFS, a 10-page document outlining the position specifications of the HFS Director was drafted by the search committee. The University also hired a search firm called the Spelman and Johnson Group that specializes in filling jobs in higher education. These combined efforts produced a pool of more than 20 applicants.

From that initial group, nine were invited to a phone interview with the search committee, and three were then invited to campus in December, Terry said. The candidates spent a day and a half touring the facilities, meeting with senior staff, management staff and HFS staff, dining at a meal hosted by the HFS chefs and talking with stakeholders.

“Not only are we interviewing the candidates, but they are, in essence, interviewing us,” Terry said. “At this level of professionalism, there is no way they are going to leave their institution unless they feel they can make a difference at the University of Washington. We want them to get a good feel of who we are and what we are about.”

Godfrey hopes to create a more connected environment for students by placing more emphasis on residential learning communities whose impact on students can be effectively measured.

“Our aspiration in Student Life is to support the overall University mission, especially as it relates to the student experience,” Godfrey said. “It is generally recognized that powerful learning occurs in the classroom and outside the classroom. One of our important objectives is to build a deep sense of community for students and that our housing provides a key role for the areas of development, engagement and leadership.”

In addition to expanding student programming, the new HFS director will be at the forefront of a 10-year, $1 billion master plan that encompasses renovation of all current residence halls and construction of 2,400 new beds. This made individual character traits imperative during the search.

“For positions like this, you look not only for the technical understanding of how these operations work, but also for leadership qualities, which involve communication, setting a vision and inspiring people to follow. We’re looking for whether or not the candidates display the leadership qualities that are so important to moving the operation forward,” Godfrey said.

The HFS director search was prompted after former director Paul Brown was removed from office due to sexual harassment accusations from Emily Carleton, a communications specialist in HFS.

Each of the final three candidates received a Seattle Times article published the Friday after Thanksgiving outlining the known information, Terry said.

“I can candidly tell you it has not affected this process one bit,” she said. “Each candidate was aware of what came out in the paper and were encouraged to ask questions if there was any discomfort.”

For current employees of HFS, Terry acknowledges that the issue is sensitive.

“I think it’s safe to say that after people work with someone for years and years as your boss, it is disturbing to read,” she said. “But the HFS people I have met are extraordinary professionals and their focus is on the future.”

Reach reporter Heather Milligan at news@dailyuw.com.