Recognizing President McCartney

Dear members of the Smith community,

Earlier today, President Kathy McCartney wrote to the Smith community announcing her intention to step down from the presidency of Smith College in June 2023, following the completion of ten years of extraordinary leadership. Although the board of trustees accepted this decision with reluctance, above all else we wish to express immense gratitude to Kathy for all that she has given to and accomplished for Smith during her tenure as president. Her contributions and achievements are more than one letter can fully capture; what follows are highlights of a remarkable presidency.

Since her arrival in 2013, Kathy has been an inspirational, aspirational and values-driven leader, with contributions that have infused nearly every aspect of the campus. Most notably, she has dedicated herself to Smith’s mission of educating women of promise for lives of distinction and purpose. As a first-generation college student who benefited from financial aid to attend college, Kathy has been a powerful advocate for investing in institutional scholarship funds to ensure that students are not hindered due to socioeconomic factors and that, once enrolled, every student is afforded the opportunity to experience fully the power of a Smith education. As a result, under Kathy’s direction, Smith has made incredible strides in the areas of college accessibility and affordability. From the recent decision to eliminate loans to the astounding 63% increase in applications since the beginning of her tenure, Kathy has championed, with purpose and conviction, meaningful advancements that have made Smith stronger in every dimension. 

Through Kathy’s vision and leadership, transformational projects have both enhanced Smith’s beautiful campus and strengthened our sense of community. For example, she championed the design and construction of the stunning new Neilson Library, the largest capital project in Smith’s history. And her understanding of Smith’s role in the wider community and in the world led to important decisions that have made an impact beyond the Grécourt Gates, including taking action on climate change through divestment and making progress toward achieving campus carbon neutrality. 

As a result of careful planning, strong governance and engaged decision making over the past decade, Smith is financially stronger than ever before. The college’s $2.6 billion endowment is now managed internally through our new investments office, offering stronger management of its largest asset. In addition, Kathy has inspired record levels of philanthropic giving, raising an incredible $605 million during her tenure through the Women for the World Campaign and beyond. In 2020, the college received the largest gift in its history—$50 million—in support of financial aid and career development, two of Kathy’s key priorities.

In the true spirit of stewardship that is so emblematic of Kathy, she has called on the board and the broader community to remain intently focused on the future of Smith in our deliberations, discussions and actions. And just as Kathy made the health and safety of the Smith community her top priority over the past two years, she has continued to balance Smith’s short-term needs with longer-term strategic goals, which she will continue to do during the remainder of her presidency.

On a personal note, I want to acknowledge and appreciate Kathy’s naturally inclusive leadership style. She leads with honesty and warmth, and she brings humor and joy to every encounter. It has been a true pleasure to partner with her during my time as a trustee. I know I speak for the entire board when I say that we could not have asked for a more compassionate or ambitious leader for Smith.

Because Kathy has positioned the institution so well, we are fortunate to begin our search for her successor on the strongest of foundations. We will be launching a search for Smith’s 12th president this spring. Susan Molineaux ’75, vice chair of the board of trustees, will chair a search committee composed of trustees, faculty, staff and student members, which we will announce and convene in the coming weeks. The Board of Trustees has retained Spencer Stuart, a global executive search and leadership advisory firm, to assist the committee with the search. With their help we will call upon all members of the Smith community to share their input into this process.

In the meantime, please join me in thanking Kathy for her exceptional leadership and unparalleled dedication to Smith College. As she indicated in her letter earlier today, she intends to remain focused on advancing key initiatives across the remainder of her presidency. Over the coming months, I look forward to many opportunities to celebrate Kathy and the transformation she has led for and with our great college. 

Sincerely,

Alison Overseth ’80
Chair of the Board of Trustees
Smith College