The Starr King School for the Ministry is seeking an experienced, mission-driven, bold, and visionary leader to help guide the school through these changing times to write the next great chapter of Starr King.
We face a pivotal moment in the school’s history. The school is the final years of an ambitious strategic plan. As we prepare to look to the future, we recognize that we are operating in an increasingly uncertain time. The current cultural and political environment will likely present new challenges, given the possibility of regulatory changes in education and increasingly systematic backlash against organizations with counter-oppressive missions and values. This emerging reality comes at a time when Starr King is already responding to the larger headwinds within theological education, including lingering inflation, widespread decreases in enrollment in higher education, and changing dynamics within religion and religious communities. These uncertain times present both new challenges, as well new opportunities to innovate in ways that advance our mission and vision.
The next President of Starr King School for the Ministry will build upon the momentum of our outgoing president, Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt – and on our 120 year legacy of being on the leading edge of progressive theological education – to help shape and execute our mission to educate people for Unitarian Universalist ministry and for progressive religious leadership in society.
The President is the lead executive officer of the Starr King School for the Ministry. The President stewards Starr King’s strategic vision and serves as an ex-officio member of the Board of Trustees. The President collaborates with the faculty, staff, students, Board of Trustees, and others across our community to advance our mission and strengthen our culture. Reporting directly to the Board of Trustees, the President is responsible for guiding, leading, and facilitating the school’s operations, including the institutional advancement, human and financial resources, relationships with other institutions, and accountability to our goals.
Working in collaboration with the Board of Trustees and with internal and external constituencies, the President will provide overall leadership and direction for Starr King. The President will advance our existing strengths and seize upon opportunities to achieve the school’s strategic goals, advance our mission, and enhance Starr King’s standing in theological education throughout the world.
The next President’s priorities will include:
To enable the school’s success and thriving, the next President will actively seek to strengthen the school’s financial position, now and into the future. This will likely include enhancing our advancement efforts, both by bolstering existing fundraising efforts and by developing new alternative revenue streams to support the school. This will also include strong financial and budgetary management.
At a time when the need for well-trained progressive religious leaders is great, when the nature of religious leadership is changing, and when rising costs are leading fewer people to pursue higher education, a core priority for the next President will be to bolster student enrollment and retention. This will likely include championing strategic and innovative efforts to recruit more students, advancing new programs that provide opportunities for people of different experiences and interests to study at Starr King, and ensuring financial and other resources are available to both attract and retain students.
One of the President’s priorities will be to find ways of advancing the school’s counter-oppressive mission, values, and pedagogy to achieve our vision of becoming the hub for counter-oppressive theological education. This will likely include finding creative, innovative ways to further our mission and remain on the cutting edge of theological education in a context of changing dynamics within theological education and possible societal opposition to our mission. This will also likely include bolstering the school’s reputation and visibility as an institution of academic excellence and one of the best schools to prepare people for progressive religious leadership.
Over the past decade, the school has strengthened and formalized its operations as a small, nonprofit theological school. However, to meet the school’s current needs and adapt to the changing environment in which we live, it will be essential for the next President to continue to enhance the operations and administration of Starr King. This will likely include clarifying roles and responsibilities within the school, addressing silos and streamlining processes, helping the school meet shifting regulatory requirements, leading strategic operational change in alignment with our counter-oppressive values, and achieving our ATS-identified priorities.
As we seek to increase enrollment and become the hub for counter-oppressive theological education, a core priority of the next President will be to strengthen and expand strategic partnerships and relationships to provide greater support and opportunities for Starr King and its students. This will include identifying and fostering relationships with institutions, congregations, and communities that align with our mission and values and that can help the school achieve its goals.
Starr King has long had a vibrant and engaged community, grounded in a sense of joy, renewal, and possibility. However, Starr King has operated almost entirely virtually for the past five years as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic – making it more difficult to maintain that same vibrancy experienced in in-person settings. Moreover, the school has historically gone through cycles of profound change and may face a need for more change in response the evolving social and political environment. Approaching such moments of change requires a high level of communication, collaboration, and trust across the life of the school. Therefore, a core priority for the next President will be to model collaboration and effective communication, foster trust across constituency groups, and enhance a common sense of community within the school. This will include building strong relationships of trust with each constituent group, guiding the school in how to best work together to advance our vision and respond to societal changes, cultivating a strong culture within virtual settings, and exploring opportunities for the community to gather and learn in-person and/or in hybrid settings.
Starr King holds a unique position in theological education as one of only two Unitarian Universalist seminaries in North America. As a result, Starr King plays a pivotal role in preserving and advancing Unitarian Universalism. At the same time, Starr King welcomes and prepares students from all faith traditions for progressive religious leadership in society – a long-standing, lived commitment to the Unitarian Universalist value of pluralism. One of the priorities of the next President will be to reaffirm and strengthen Starr King’s dual identity as a Unitarian Universalist and multi-religious seminary.
The school has identified the following desired attributes sought in the next president. These desired attributes include:
Candidates with relationships or experience working with foundations and grant-makers, experience nurturing scholars and/or activists in their formation, and experience developing and leading in a collaborative governance structure are also encouraged to apply.
To ensure full consideration, applications should be received by February 20, 2025. Applications must include:
Applications should be submitted FuturePresident@sksm.edu.
Please direct any nominations, expressions of interest, or questions regarding the application process to Starr King’s Search Committee at SearchCommittee@sksm.edu.
Starr King School for the Ministry is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to living our counter-oppressive values and providing employees an inclusive workplace. All employment decisions are based on organizational needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran or disability status, or any other protected status. We encourage all interested to apply.
