Southern Illinois University Edwardsville chancellor announces he will retire in 2022

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Chancellor Randy Pembrook intends to retire at the end of the 2021–2022 academic year, he announced Tuesday.

SIU System President Dan Mahony said in a press release that the search for Pembrook’s replacement — who will be the 10th SIUE chancellor — is in its earliest stages.

The university will hold town hall meetings in the coming weeks to gather feedback and start a national search. A search committee will bring candidates to campus during the fall semester, and Mahony said he hopes to make a candidate recommendation to the SIU Board of Trustees during its December meeting.

In 2019, Pembrook’s contract was extended for four years.

Pembrook’s penultimate year as chancellor saw its challenges, as the university adapted to implement safety guidelines for COVID-19.

“The last 15 months have deepened my respect for this institution even more,” Pembrook said in a statement. “After the last 15 months, nearly losing my father to COVID, seeing our two daughters spend some time in Edwardsville and then move away to Chicago and Pittsburgh, respectively, and realizing that the pace I believe the chancellor’s position requires is no longer sustainable for me, I think the new institution would be better served by a new leader with a fresh spirit.”

Pembrook has been chancellor since 2016. He earned a bachelor’s and a master’s in music education and piano performance from SIUE in 1978 and 1980, respectively.

In 2019, Pembrook’s total compensation from SIUE was $340,126.20.

To view the BND’s entire Public Pay Database, go to https://www.bnd.com/publicpay.

This story was originally published May 12, 2021 at 1:59 PM.