Succeeding the president

The University of Virginia recently announced the makeup of its search committee to succeed President John T. Casteen III — and what a task that will be.

Mr. Casteen will retire next summer, after 20 years as leader of the school that now bears so much of his imprint.

Finding a new president will be a tough mission (Mr. Casteen cannot be replaced, only succeeded) — but also an exciting one. Notwithstanding current budget difficulties, UVa is a premier address for any academic leader.

UVa’s excellence in reputation should attract many top-qualified candidates. The challenge will be to find that one special man or woman who combines the skills of leadership and attitude of service that have made Mr. Casteen’s tenure so remarkable.

Consider just a few highlights of that career, achieved as UVa rose to be the nation’s No. 2 public university:

Creation of the new Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, the first new school at UVa in 50 years.

Successful completion of not one, but two ambitious fund-raising efforts.

A re-envisioning of campus facilities and amenities — right down to the landscaping — and the start of implementation to these long-term plans.

Improvements, in infrastructure and programs, at the Medical Center and many of the university’s graduate schools, helping to solidify national rankings for these centers as well.

Expansion of the football stadium and construction of the John Paul Jones Arena, a state-of-the-art facility for sports and entertainment.

Negotiation with Richmond for an oversight structure allowing the university to make more autonomous decisions, avoiding costly delays.

Sophisticated long-term planning that will help see the university through the leadership transition period and into the future beyond.

We noted that today’s University of Virginia bears Mr. Casteen’s stamp, but that is only part of the story.

In fact, one of the president’s chief skills has been to recruit and bond a stellar group of advisers who have, together, made the university what it is today. This is a highly unusual group of core leaders who have worked cohesively and unselfishly for the university’s highest goals over the long haul.

Mr. Casteen’s innate character made this possible. He is not one of those high-profile individuals who sometimes rise to the top of major institutions, be they educational or corporate, through bold force of personality. Such leaders can be exciting and charismatic, but often fail to create systems and structures that can survive their departure.

Instead, UVa has been shaped by a man who combines a hefty set of academic skills with an ability to bring out the best in others. What UVa has accomplished in the past two decades could not have been achieved by one person alone, however personally powerful. It could only have been created by nurturing a culture of excellence reaching every corner of the operation.

The search committee’s eventual choice will of course have his or her own personality and skill set to bring to the mix. We can only hope that candidate will also have the ability to bring people together for the university’s common good as capably as has Mr. Casteen.