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Search for new public policy institute director begins

BY ADAM TESTA, The Southern

Friday, August 22, 2008 2:12 PM CDT

CARBONDALE – A national search for the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute's third executive director has begun.

John Jackson, chairman of the search committee, said advertisements seeking applicants would be placed in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and the Chicago Tribune and Sun Times, among other publications.

An application deadline of Sept. 22 has been set, and a new director may be in place by Nov. 1, the date the current director retires.

"Our most opportunistic date for replacing Mike Lawrence would be the date Mike leaves," Jackson said. "But if they're not in there by Nov. 1, it won't cause any problems."

If an out-of-state candidate is selected, he or she may not have enough time to relocate by that date, he said.

Paul Simon, two-term U.S. senator and one-time nominee for the Democratic presidential nomination, founded the Institute in 1997. Lawrence served as Simon's associate director and was named director in October 2004.

Prior to joining the Institute, housed on the campus of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Lawrence served as press secretary and senior political adviser to Gov. Jim Edgar for nearly 10 years.

Jackson, who also led the search committee that selected Lawrence as director, said the ideal candidate for the director position will possess "the qualities reflected in the lives and careers of both Paul Simon and Mike Lawrence."