An executive search committee announced the four finalists vying to become the next Corps of Cadets commandant. Over the next three weeks, the finalists will each spend two days visiting campus before the final decision is announced in February.
The four finalists and their campus visit dates are:
- Major General (Ret.) Gregory J. Lengyel, Jan. 16-17
- Captain (Ret.) William H. Baxter, Jan. 23-24
- Major General (Ret.) John J. Nichols, Jan. 29-30
- Lieutenant General James W. Bierman Jr., Feb. 3-4
Susan Ballabina, President Mark A. Welsh III’s chief of staff and chair of the search advisory committee, sent the announcement email to all faculty, staff and students on Monday afternoon.
“During the candidate visits, cadets, Corps staff, Corps stakeholder groups and university executive leadership have been invited to meet the finalists,” Ballabina wrote in the email. “The campus candidate forums will be recorded and posted for playback on the Executive Searches website once all four finalists’ visits are completed.”
Ballabina is joined on the search committee by Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs Angie Hill Price, Dean of The Bush School of Government and Public Service John B. Sherman, Office of the Commandant Chief of Staff Meredith Simpson, Texas A&M Corps of Cadets Commander Deandre Macri and General (Ret.) William M. Fraser III, a distinguished alumnus and Corps Hall of Honor member.
Applications for the top position closed on Nov. 12, 2024, and were followed by interviews throughout December. In a press conference late last year, Welsh said the next commandant must be “an example of how things should be at Texas A&M and an even stronger defender of the traditions and the legacy of the university.”
Applications opened in September 2024 after Welsh directed the former commandant, Brigadier General (Ret.) Patrick Michaelis, to step down following a tumultuous tenure. Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Loyd S. “Chip” Utterback currently serves as interim commandant.
