Guiding Union Into Its Next Chapter of Justice and Theological Imagination
President Serene Jones announced that she will conclude her presidency at the end of the 2025–2026 academic year. As Union embarks on a thoughtful, inclusive, and transparent search for our next president, we invite the entire Union community—students, faculty, staff, alumni, supporters, and friends—to participate in shaping this important process.
This webpage serves as the central hub for information, updates, and opportunities for engagement throughout the presidential search. Here you will find key milestones, communications, and ways to share your input as we discern the leader who will carry forward Union’s enduring mission: to reimagine the work of faith, scholarship, and justice for the 21st century and beyond.
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Note to Community from Search Committee Chair:
Dear Union Community, Friends, and Supporters,
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I write to you with both gratitude and hope as we take an important step in Union Theological Seminary’s presidential transition. Following the announcement of President Serene Jones’s planned departure at the end of the 2025–26 academic year, we now begin the sacred and significant work of discerning together who will carry Union’s mission into the future.
Our Mission
The Union Presidential Search Committee has been charged with leading a rigorous, inclusive, and timely process that identifies and evaluates exceptional candidates for the presidency—leaders who embody theological depth, have a bold vision for progressive education, and hold a strong commitment to social justice. We are undertaking this search on behalf of Union’s Board of Trustees, students, alumni, faculty, and staff.
This search is not only about finding the next president; it is about ensuring Union continues to stand as a beacon of theological imagination, faith in the public square, justice, and academic excellence for generations to come.
To support us in this task, we have engaged Spencer Stuart, a trusted search partner, who will walk alongside us as we listen deeply to the voices of our community and the wider world. Guided by Union’s enduring values, we are committed to keeping this process rooted in integrity, transparency, and engagement. There will be moments of open dialogue, including opportunities later this month for you to share your hopes and vision. There will also be seasons of quiet, as we honor the confidentiality necessary for a search of this importance.
The Search Committee
The Search Committee reflects Union’s diverse constituencies and includes:
- Michelle Alexander, Student Representative
- Abigail Asgaralli, Associate Dean for Student Affairs, Staff Representative
- Rev. Dr. Gary Dorrien, Reinhold Niebuhr Professor of Social Ethics, Faculty Representative
- Clifford Hudson, Board Chair
- Rhonda Joy McLean, Board Vice-Chair, Search Committee Chair
- Calvin Mew ’73, Trustee and Alumnus
- Ruth Wooden ’16, Trustee and Alumna
It is a privilege to serve alongside this group, representing the heart of Union’s students, faculty, staff, alumni, and trustees. You can reach the Search Committee at [email protected].
The Road Ahead
Our timeline includes opportunities for community engagement beginning this month, hosted in partnership with Spencer Stuart. A mid-search update will follow later this fall, with the Board’s vote on Union’s next president anticipated in Spring 2026. We look forward to announcing Union’s new leader publicly in late spring, ushering in a time of renewal and continuity.
This is a historic moment for Union. We give thanks for President Jones’s remarkable 18 years of leadership, and we step forward with confidence that, together, we will call a new president who will guide Union faithfully into its next chapter.
I am deeply grateful for your partnership, your prayers, and your trust as we embark on this journey. With your support and engagement, we will discern the leader who can carry forward Union’s legacy of bold witness, theological imagination, and justice-centered scholarship.
With gratitude,
Rhonda Joy McLean
Vice-Chair, Union Board of Trustees
Chair, Presidential Search Committee