Message From the Chair of the Board of Trustees

Dear Cornell Community,

At the Winter Meeting of the Board of Trustees, Jonathan Brand informed the Board that on June 30, 2027, at the end of his 16th year, he will conclude his tenure as President of Cornell College.

This decision follows conversations that began during the renewal of his employment agreement in the fall of 2023, when President Brand shared with the Board that he and his wife, Rachelle, were beginning to consider some of their own dreams and adventures after the contract’s end in 2027. At that time, he and the Board agreed that early notice would serve the college well by providing a generous window to start the search for his successor.

Jonathan and Rachelle have been at the heart of Cornell for almost 15 years now. They leave a legacy that has focused on supporting innovation and growth of Cornell’s distinctive One Course At A Time curriculum, faculty/staff creativity, student success, a vibrant campus, and securing Cornell’s financial future. A few examples of Cornell’s accomplishments under Jonathan’s leadership include:

• Launching the Berry Career Institute, focused on career success and experiential learning such as internships.
• Creating and expanding the Cornell Summer Research Institute.
• Establishing the Center for the Literary Arts in the Van Etten-Lacey House and the endowed Dana Emerging Writer Fellow.
• Guiding the college through the COVID shutdown and the Derecho of 2020, which caused significant damage to the campus, just as the college was preparing to re-open.
• Constructing the Russell Science Center, the college’s first new academic building in over 40 years—fully funded by Cornell alumni and friends.
• Renovating and expanding the Thomas Commons, West Science Hall, Law Hall, the Small Athletic and Wellness Center, McLennan College Hall, four first‑year residence halls, Ash Park, the baseball field, and completing a new performance soccer field—impressively also fully funded by Cornell alumni and friends.
• Launching competitive esports, men’s and women’s lacrosse, women’s wrestling, and women’s flag football.
• Guiding fundraising efforts that have, to date, secured more than $200 million for Cornell projects and programs and exceeded Annual Fund goals 13 out of 14 years.
• Providing strategic leadership to grow the endowment toward an ambitious $200‑million‑plus goal. Since 2011, the endowment has increased from $64 million to $115.2 million as of December 31, 2025; together with $18 million in external funds that function like the endowment, the college now has $133 million in endowment and endowment‑like assets.

On a more personal level, President Brand has:

• Celebrated more than 3,300 graduates, including 101‑year‑old Fred Taylor ’43, who missed his original ceremony while serving in World War II.
• Engaged 125 students in his politics class across seven teaching blocks (with one more to come in 2026).
• Along with Rachelle, attended most major musical and theater performances, Senior Art Shows, many athletic events, and other student celebrations and activities, and joined students on one of Cornell’s Alternative Spring Break trips to Waco, TX.
• Run with over 400 Cornell cross-country runners over the years..
• Baked over 700 bags of granola for Cornell alumni and friends.

Throughout his tenure, President Brand has had the full support of the Board of Trustees, and he will continue to have that support for the remainder of his term. The work we have completed together—strengthening our innovative academic program, building our endowment, reducing our debt to impressively low levels, and evolving our campus offerings to meet the needs of this generation’s students—will persist as we continue to embrace change as a forward‑thinking institution. We thank Jonathan for his many years of strong service. 

The Board of Trustees is beginning the process of forming the search committee and selecting a search firm, identifying opportunities for community input, and developing a full search timeline. Our goal is to select Cornell’s next president by the end of the fall 2026 semester. We will share updates on a presidential search webpage as information becomes available.

As a community passionately guided by our liberal arts foundation as well as the values that have long defined Cornell: curiosity, creativity, resilience, and an uncommon commitment to student success, we are ready to step forward together. Our collective achievements position us strongly for the next chapter, and we look ahead with confidence as we prepare to welcome new leadership.

Respectfully,

Jan Thomas
Chair, Board of Trustees
Cornell Alumna, Class of 1980