ZRG The Registry

The Registry is growing, and so is what we can deliver!

Since joining ZRG, the world’s fastest-growing talent advisory firm, we’ve been building on our decades of trusted interim leadership experience in higher education while expanding the ways we support institutions through executive search, talent consulting, embedded recruiting, and more. We’re excited about what this makes possible: greater reach, deeper expertise, and more ways to help colleges and universities keep momentum, navigate change, and move forward with clarity and confidence.

For years, we've been the Gold Standard for interim leadership in higher education. Now, we're redefining what that standard can achieve.

Ready to start a conversation? See how ZRG The Registry can support your institution through every leadership transition.

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At this month’s NAICU Annual Meeting & Advocacy Day, one session prompt stayed with us:

What is your “north star” during challenging times? Where do you find passion and purpose in a role that can be demanding and often solitary?

University presidency asks for clarity and conviction, and it also comes with a practical reality: many decisions are sensitive, time-bound, and hard to workshop broadly. Even with strong teams, leaders can have limited outlets to compare notes with peers who truly understand the nuance.

That’s why the value of a trusted sounding board came up again and again.

At The Registry, we see our work as helping presidents and boards access that perspective — through interim leadership, transition support, and experienced advisors who can help leaders pressure-test decisions while staying anchored to their north star.

Curious about how The Registry can be a sounding board for you? Get in touch: https://registryinterim.com/interim-placement-solutions

When leadership fits the mission, institutions don’t miss a step.

We’re proud of the partnership with Wartburg Theological Seminary and the impact of placing Kimberly A. Marshall, CFE, as Interim Vice President for Finance, Operations, and Human Resources.

As Wartburg’s President, Rev. Kristin Johnston Largen, Ph.D. shared, they needed a leader with the experience and vision to embrace Wartburg’s mission quickly and move key projects forward collaboratively. The Registry is honored to have helped match the right leadership to the moment, readying the institution for its next phase of strategic work.

For Kimberly, too, it’s been more than a transition, but an opportunity to serve a community that cares deeply for its students, faculty, and staff, all while supporting Wartburg’s next chapter.

Congratulations to both, and the Wartburg community. We can’t wait to see what comes next in Wartburg’s bright future!

The conversation around interim leadership in higher education is shifting.

For years, “interim” has been shorthand for temporary stability — a steady hand until a permanent leader arrives. But the reality on campuses today looks very different. Institutions are navigating enrollment volatility, financial pressure, governance complexity, and cultural strain that can’t always wait for a multi-year presidential search to resolve.

An interim president, with the right mandate, can do far more than hold the line. They can be the person who asks the hardest questions, resets priorities, and creates the conditions for long-term success without being constrained by legacy expectations or political timelines.

That’s the perspective raised in this recent Inside Higher Ed column, and it echoes what we see every day in our work at The Registry.

In moments of disruption, institutions don’t just need continuity. They need clarity, momentum, and the resolve to confront structural realities head-on — work that can be more effective in the hands of a leader unencumbered by the politics, history, and constraints that can accompany a long tenure. In other words, Interim leadership isn’t about buying time until change can happen. It’s about using moments of transition as a catalyst to make change possible.

As Senior Consultant at The Registry, Bob Smith puts it:
“Leberman makes compelling and important points about the value that interim presidents can bring to higher education institutions. And particularly so if the institution’s board of trustees and/or current leadership sees the need for innovation and transformation to ensure sustainability.

Having an interim leader who will not be a candidate for the permanent post, and one with background and experience to ably assist the recruitment and onboarding of the next permanent CEO, are pluses as aptly noted by Lederman.

Interestingly, what Lederman recommends has been the raison d’etre of The Registry for the past 34 years.”

An Interim President for Every Institution (column) What if colleges and universities hired short-term leaders for a year or three to get the really hard stuff done?

We are pleased to share that Robin Tweedy has joined ZRG, The Registry! Robin is a Principal in ZRG’s Education, Nonprofit, and Social Impact Practice and brings 25 years of experience across executive search, career counseling, and higher education.

Robin comes to ZRG, The Registry from Harvard University, where she most recently served as a senior talent strategy partner. Throughout her career, she has built trusted relationships across education, business, and civic enterprise, advising institutions through complex hiring and leadership transitions.

Robin partners with colleges and universities to recruit and place leaders at all levels of the institution. Her work spans cabinet-level appointments, senior administrative roles, and mission-critical leadership searches. She is known for her ability to align institutional culture with leadership capability, ensuring each placement supports both immediate priorities and long-term strategy. Drawing on her experience inside higher education, she brings practical insight into governance, stakeholder engagement, and talent development.

Robin is based in Boston with ZRG, The Registry. Outside of work, she can often be found on the sidelines of her son’s lacrosse game or visiting her daughter in New York City.

A recent Forbes article offered a refreshingly optimistic view of where U.S. higher education could be headed, grounded in the belief that progress is possible when leaders stay focused on mission, innovation, and public trust.

A few themes stood out to us at The Registry:
• Reconnecting with communities through listening, transparency, and engagement.
• Advancing innovation that aligns with institutional values and long-term purpose.
• Strengthening higher education’s role in economic, social, and civic well-being.

These are themes we hear consistently in our work alongside leaders on campuses nationwide. As a long-standing partner to institutions navigating change, we’re continually inspired by the creativity, resilience, and commitment we see every day. Despite the challenges facing higher education, the path forward is one of innovation, stronger community connection, and institutions finding new ways to emerge even more impactful than before.

What opportunities are you most optimistic about for the year ahead?

Six Things We Hope To See From U.S. Higher Education In 2026 2025 was the Year of Superlatives. Few institutions were more affected by partisan politics and polarization than U.S. higher education. What might we hope to see in 2026?

Senior Consultant James Martin, PhD, offers a sharp and timely perspective in his latest HigherEdJobs article on how the role of interim leaders in higher education is rapidly evolving.

Dr. Martin makes a compelling point: interim leadership is no longer viewed as a temporary placeholder, but as a strategic partnership that helps institutions maintain momentum, navigate complexity, and move important work forward during times of transition.

He highlights how today’s interim leaders often:
• Provide stability and continuity at pivotal moments.
• Offer experienced, outside perspective that can accelerate progress.
• Support strategic initiatives while permanent searches are underway.

It’s a perspective we see play out every day across campuses nationwide. Interim leadership, when thoughtfully deployed, can be a powerful asset for institutions managing change while keeping their mission at the forefront.

Read James’ full article here: https://www.higheredjobs.com/Articles/articleDisplay.cfm?ID=4541

In January, we placed 11 interim leaders at colleges and universities across the country, helping institutions stay focused and steady during times of transition. Our interims step in ready to lead, providing the experience and continuity campuses need to move forward with confidence.

Learn more: https://registryinterim.com/

At the recent Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities Annual Meeting, The Registry convened a conversation that underscored a simple assumption: leadership transitions aren’t only about continuity, they’re about driving your mission forward.

Our Senior Consultant, Rev. Dr. Bill Nelsen moderated an engaging dialogue with Marcheta Evans, PhD., President of St. Catherine University, alongside two Registry interims serving the institution: Marc Manganaro, PhD. and Beth Sheppard, PhD., M. Div.

The discussion explored how institutions make stronger progress when leaders step into roles where the mission aligns with their own sense of purpose — shaping how they show up, how they decide, and how communities move forward together.

The Registry will be attending the ACE Experience 2026! This event will emp​ower campus leaders to foster innovation and resilience as well as to champion higher education’s vital role in building our nation’s future.​​ Senior Consultant Ian D.C. Newbould, PhD, will be representing The Registry.