The Board of Trustees announced Monday that David Glassman will be the 12th president of Eastern.

Glassman, who is currently the provost and vice president for academic affairs at Bradley University, will take the place of current President Bill Perry when he officially leaves his position on May 15.

Glassman said he has already begun thinking of ways to talk to legislature in Springfield about Eastern.

“I look forward to starting in June,” Glassman said. “I’ve already been thinking it’s hard to sleep at night without strategizing.”

Kristopher Goetz, the chair of the board, said although the board had the final vote on Eastern’s next president, it is meant to be of service to students and the community.

“As Joe (Dively, search committee chair) has said many times, we can’t screw this up,” Goetz said. “We have to do it right.”

Goetz said Glassman would be the 12th sitting president, but the 11th to actually take the position, as Eastern’s first president died before he could take office.

“In 120 years, there have been 10 men and women to serve as EIU president,” Goetz said. “Today we will be deciding the 11th.”

Dively said the consulting firm Korn Ferry found more than 200 candidates and submitted 19 to the search committee; then, the committee selected nine for offsite interviews and finally four to be interviewed by the campus community.

“All four involved in other presidential search processes, which made us think we made the right decision,” Dively said. “Each one made it clear EIU was their desired position.”

The board also approved Glassman’s tenured appointment to the department of sociology and anthropology.

Stephanie Markham can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].