Presidential Search
The Board of Trustees of Army and Navy Academy has begun a national search for the Academy’s next President. This page is the Warrior community’s home for the search: who is guiding it, how it will proceed, and how families, cadets, faculty, staff, and alumni can take part along the way.
THE SEARCH AT A GLANCE
To lead the search, the Board of Trustees has engaged DRG Consulting, a national executive search firm that has guided leadership transitions at independent schools and military-affiliated institutions across the country. Two of DRG’s consultants, Jennifer Fleischer and Staci Williams-Seeley, are working directly with the Board and the search committee at every stage.
The Board is seeking a President who understands the Academy’s mission to forge virtuous young men for life and who is prepared to build on more than a century of educating boys on our beachfront campus in Carlsbad. The search is expected to run through the coming months, with the goal of naming the next President far enough in advance to allow an orderly transition.
SEARCH PARTNER
DRG Consulting
SEARCH CONSULTANTS
Jennifer Fleischer and Staci Williams-Seeley
COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS
Major General Arthur Bartell, USA (Ret.) and Beth Garrow
LAUNCHED
September 2026
GOAL
A new President chosen before the current term concludes in spring 2027
HOW THE SEARCH WILL UNFOLD
The search moves through four stages. Each one builds on the last, and the Board will post an update on this page as each stage begins.
1. LEADERSHIP PROFILE
DRG and the Board define the experience, character, and priorities the next President should bring to the Academy.
2. COMMUNITY INPUT
Families, cadets, faculty, staff, and alumni are invited to share what they hope to see in the Academy’s next leader.
3. CANDIDATE EVALUATION
DRG identifies and vets candidates from across the country, and the search committee interviews the strongest of them.
4. APPOINTMENT
The Board names the next President with time built in for an orderly transition before the current term ends in spring 2027.
THE SEARCH COMMITTEE
The Board of Trustees has appointed a search committee of six trustees to work alongside DRG Consulting. Two co-chairs lead the committee, and four additional trustees round out its membership.
MAJOR GENERAL ARTHUR BARTELL, USA (RET.)
Co-Chair, Trustee
General Bartell led the Academy as President from 2014 to 2021. He brings to the committee direct experience of what the role demands and a clear understanding of what the Academy needs in its next leader.
BETH GARROW
Co-Chair, Trustee
Ms. Garrow’s career in nonprofit management spans fundraising and board development, and she is widely recognized as a community leader. She brings governance experience and a broad network to the committee’s work.
JEFF TISOR ’85
Chairman of the Board
JACK WYATT ’63
Past Chairman of the Board
GRIFF LEWIS
Chair, Governance Committee
CHERI HARRINGTON
Trustee and Academy Patron, 2020 to 2024
LETTERS TO THE COMMUNITY
Leadership will write to the Warrior community directly as the search progresses. Each letter is posted here in full.
CHAIRMAN’S LETTER
Board Chairman Jeff Tisor ’85 announces the launch of the search, introduces DRG Consulting, and names the members of the search committee.
PRESIDENT’S LETTER
President Barry Shreiar reflects on seventeen years at the Academy and on what the community should look for in its next leader.
SEARCH UPDATES
The Board is committed to an open process and will keep the community informed at each step. Updates are posted here as the search progresses, and opportunities for families, cadets, faculty, staff, and alumni to share their perspective will be announced on this page.
SEPTEMBER 2026
The Board of Trustees announces the launch of the Presidential Search, the engagement of DRG Consulting, and the members of the search committee.
WITH GRATITUDE
The Board also recognizes President Barry Shreiar, who stepped forward to lead the Academy and will complete his term in spring 2027. His service as a trustee, as Chairman of the Board, and as President reflects a lasting commitment to the Academy’s mission, and the Warrior community is grateful for his leadership.
Announcing the Launch of Army and Navy Academy’s Presidential Search
Dear Army and Navy Academy Community,
I am writing to share some important news: ANA has formally launched the search for our next President. This is a significant moment for our Academy, and we want our entire community — families, cadets, staff, alumni, and teachers — to hear about it directly from me as this process begins.
After a thorough evaluation, the Board of Trustees has selected DRG Consulting, a nationally respected executive search firm with deep experience in independent and military-affiliated school leadership searches, to guide us through this process. We will be working directly with Jennifer Fleischer, and Staci Williams-Seeley. We’re excited to partner with them in finding a leader who reflects ANA’s mission and values and who is well-positioned to carry our school forward.
What to Expect
In the coming weeks, DRG will work closely with the Board to define the leadership profile for our next President, gather input from stakeholders across our community, and begin identifying and evaluating candidates. We anticipate the search will unfold over the coming months, with the goal of naming our next President in time for a smooth transition.
Our Commitment to You
Transparency and trust matter to us throughout this process. We are committed to keeping our community informed at each step along the way. You can expect regular updates on the ANA website as the search progresses, and we will look for opportunities for you to share your voice and perspective on what you’d like to see in ANA’s next leader.
We know this is a topic our community cares about, and we’re grateful for your partnership and trust as we take this next step together.
The Search Committee
I would also like to introduce the search committee. Leading us as co-chairs are two members of our board of trustees, Major General Art Bartell and Beth Garrow. Major General Arthur Bartell, USA (Ret.), served as ANA’s President from 2014 to 2021 — his firsthand knowledge of what it takes to lead this school makes his perspective on this search especially valuable. Beth has a background in non-profit management, including fundraising and board development and has a track record as a community leader.
Joining them on the committee are:
- Jeff Tisor ’85, Chairman of the Board
- Jack Wyatt ’63, Past Chairman of the Board
- Griff Lewis, Chair of the Board’s Governance Committee
- Cheri Harrington, Board Trustee and ANA Patron 2020-2024
We would also like to recognize and thank Barry Shreiar, who stepped in to serve as President and will be finishing his term next spring. We’re grateful for his dedication and service throughout his time as President.
More to come soon.
Sincerely,
Jeff Tisor ’85
Chairman, ANA Board of Trustees
A Letter from the President
Dear Warrior Family,
As many of you know, I am in the last year of my three-year commitment as the president of the Academy. When the Board of Trustees made the decision that I should transition from the Chairman of the Board to the operational role of president, we did this with a clear plan of having me in the role for three years and then execute a search for a new leader, who would hopefully take the position for an extended period of time.
To execute the second phase of this plan, the Board of Trustees worked through a lengthy due diligence process and has hired DRG Consulting to perform the search for our new president. The Chairman of our Board of Trustees, Jeff Tisor ’85, has explained the process in his accompanying letter.
I have, for over seventeen years, occupied many roles on our campus. I was a parent for five years; a board of trustee member for over thirteen years; interim president and president. My relationship with Board of Trustee members, staff, faculty, alumni, patrons and parents has been immeasurably important to me. However, it’s the cadets and their desire to be more, to push themselves to extraordinary limits, and live and grow as brothers that keep you coming back. At Army and Navy Academy, it’s about the boys.
In the weeks to come you will be hearing a lot about the progress of our search and how you might participate. This is my third search in my over seventeen years. They are arduous and gratifying if you work through them with one goal: to choose a leader that best exemplifies our desire to forge virtuous young men for life. I know you will take part with this intention in mind.
This Academy is a particularly special place. Our boys leave our Academy with all the tools they need to understand:
- Unity not Division
- Gratitude not Grievance
- Self-worth not net worth
I like to ask people, especially those not familiar with what we do, what they believe we teach at our Academy. After the usual answers of discipline, structure, grit, and how to make your bed, I respond by saying we teach, “Kindness, Caring, Devotion and Love.” This is the Army and Navy Academy brotherhood.
I have one fervid desire as I leave: that every parent who is fortunate enough to send their son to Army and Navy Academy hears what my wife and I heard from our son the night before he graduated. “Dad, I finally get it. I wish I could do it all over again.”
My Best,
Barry Shreiar (Nick ’14)
President
Army and Navy Academy