Photo: KTW File Photo

TRU President Brett Fairbairn

A committee tasked with identifying and hiring Thompson Rivers University’s next president will begin reviewing candidates in the new year — and TRU's board chair says strong interest has been shown.

Brett Fairbairn has occupied TRU's most senior position since 2018. He announced last year he would be stepping down from the president’s chair when his second term is up at the end of June.

At TRU’s board of governors meeting last week, board chair Hee Young Chung said the presidential search committee met last month to review progress on finding Fairbairn’s replacement.

“The committee was pleased with the interest shown to date,” Chung said.

“Recruitment activities and advertising are still underway, and the search committee will meet again in the new year to review the candidates and develop an interview plan going forward.”

The search committee was established in April and includes TRU faculty, administrators and board members, as well as a staff member, a student and a Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc representative. The committee will advise the board in appointing the next president.

The committee took feedback from the public over the summer, developed a candidate profile and officially began recruitment in the fall.