Pace University president Stephen J. Friedman will not seek reappointment at the end of his current term in June 2017, the school said Thursday.
In a letter to the Pace community, Friedman, who has served as the school’s president since June 2007, said he will not seek another five-year term, calling his time at the university the “most challenging and rewarding period” of his professional career.
Friedman also served as dean of Pace Law School for three years before being named the university’s seventh president.
The university said it will begin the process of selecting his successor “shortly.”
“We now have a strong base in curriculum, strategic initiatives, faculty and administration that will be a springboard to what I firmly believe will be a truly great future for Pace University,” Friedman wrote. “My intention is to leave my successor a firm foundation on which to build the next layers of growth and success for this wonderful university.”
He was re-elected for a second term in a unanimous vote by the school’s Board of Trustees in 2011. Pace University Board of Trustees Chairman Mark Besca called Friedman a “transformative figure” who developed a plan that helped the school grow in his nine years thus far as president.
“Throughout two remarkable terms as president, he has demonstrated passionate advocacy for our students and worked tirelessly to position Pace for a bold and bright future.”
