Dear Colleagues s12

Dear Colleagues,

I am writing to you as a member of the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization (GMTO) Board to share information about the future leadership of GMTO and to invite ideas from you.

GMT is one of the most ambitious projects undertaken in astronomy. The eleven institutions that founded GMTO and that fund it remain resolutely committed to GMT and the scientific leadership that it will provide.

The GMTO Board has studied possible leadership architectures for GMTO and has consulted with experts in the field. The Board has decided to recruit a talented outward-facing President. The successful candidate will have substantial experience attracting philanthropic investment and in relations with university and government officials. The President would lead the campaign to secure the remaining funding needed to complete GMT. On scientific and technical matters, GMTO would continue to be led by the current Observatory Director Patrick McCarthy and Project Manager James Fanson.

The Search Committee consists of GMTO Board members: Timothy Doyle (Chair, Carnegie Institution for Science), Wayne Alexander (retired, formerly of Southwestern Bell), Taft Armandroff (University of Texas at Austin), Daniel Eisenstein (Harvard University), Buell Jannuzi (University of Arizona), and Walter Massey (School of the Art Institute of Chicago).

The Search Committee selected Storbeck/Pimental & Associates to assist with this recruitment after reviewing proposals from four search firms. Storbeck/Pimental have extensive experience placing Directors and CEO’s in research institutions and foundations; and President, Chancellors and Deans in higher education.

The position description is appended below and is on the Storbeck/Pimental website http://storbeckpimentel.com/ .

I encourage you to read the position description and to think of individuals who would excel in this role. Please feel most welcome to make such individuals aware of the opportunity or to pass those names onto me or to a member of the Search Committee (for example Tim Doyle as Chair, [email protected]). Input before/by September 2 would be most helpful.

On behalf of the full Board, I appreciate everyone’s ongoing efforts across the partnership in moving GMT forward. A future update on this important search will be provided.

Sincerely,

Byeong-Gon Park, GMTO Board member representing KASI/Korea Presidential Search Position Profile

The Board of Directors of the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization (GMTO) invites nominations and applications for the position of President. The new President will lead the international effort to fund, design, construct, and operate the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT). Upon completion, the Giant Magellan Telescope will be the largest optical telescope in the world, and the first in a new class of “Extremely Large Telescopes” poised to usher in a new era of discovery.

The Organization The Giant Magellan Telescope Organization is an independent organization created by an international consortium of leading academic and research institutions with the mission of funding, engineering, constructing and operating the world’s largest optical telescope. The initial partnership for the GMT was established in 2004, starting with the Carnegie Institution for Science, the University of Arizona, Harvard University, and the Smithsonian Institution to build on the technological leaps in adaptive optics and mirror segment technology of the telescopes of the 1990s. The astrophysical breakthroughs of world-class telescopes and observatories such as the Multiple Mirror Telescope, Hobby-Eberly Telescope, Large Binocular Telescope, and the Magellan Telescopes effectively demonstrated the promise of new technologies and set the stage for new class of telescope to address the stubborn mysteries of the cosmos. The University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, and the University of Chicago joined in the following years. Several international partners including the Australian National University, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI), Astronomy Australia Limited, and the São Paulo Research Foundation have also joined the project. The GMTO continues to seek national and international partner organizations to join in this historic endeavor. The Giant Magellan Telescope will be located in northern Chile at Las Campanas Observatory. Owned by the Carnegie Institution for Science since 1969, Las Campanas is home to the twin 6.5 meter Magellan telescopes. Perched at an elevation of over 8,000 feet (2400m) on the Andes mountain range, the site is known for clear weather and dark skies and is insulated from the light pollution that poses a major obstacle to ground-based optical astronomical research. Las Campanas is approximately 62 miles (100 kilometers) northeast of the seaside city of La Serena, Chile’s second oldest city. On November 11, 2015, GMTO broke ground on the future site of the Giant Magellan Telescope in a ceremony attended by leading scientists, senior officials, and Michelle Bachelet, the President of Chile.

The Milky Way and Magellanic Clouds over the twin Magellan telescopes taken the night of the groundbreaking ceremony GMTO’s main business office is located in a 46,000 square foot space in Pasadena, California, approximately 16 miles northeast of Downtown Los Angeles. Pasadena is a national innovation hub, attracting $1.9 billion in federal R&D funds annually, and $25 billion since 2001. Known for world-class research institutions such as the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and the Carnegie Institution for Science (CIS), Pasadena is home to 32 Nobel Laureates, amongst the highest concentrations in the world. The Pasadena office employs approximately 100 people. The Chilean business office based in Santiago currently employs 10 FTEs with additional staff set to join in the immediate future. Upon completion, the Giant Magellan Telescope will utilize cutting-edge optics technology to combine seven mirrors to form an optical system capable of achieving ten times the resolution of the Hubble Space Telescope. GMT will embark on a mission of discovery to explore the origins of the chemical elements, the formation of the first stars and galaxies, and the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy. Poised to be the first “Extremely Large Telescope” to begin operations, and designed to have an operational lifespan of 50 years or more, GMT is designed to provide unprecedented clarity and sensitivity for the observation of astronomical phenomena. First light and commissioning for the telescope is expected by 2023, with GMT becoming fully operational by 2024-2025. Position Summary The President is responsible for setting the vision, ensuring effective leadership and management, working with the GMTO team and staff, and representing the GMT to the community, state, region, nation, and world. The President exercises overall leadership for the GMTO’s resource development and fundraising initiatives and is responsible for ensuring the fiscal well-being of the organization.

GMTO seeks a dynamic and strategic thinker who possesses excellent judgment and diplomatic skill, personal and professional integrity, and a reputation for working collegially and collaboratively with internal and external constituencies. The President will act as a catalyst for creativity, innovation, and progress within the GMTO and beyond. Reporting to the GMTO Board of Directors, the President will lead the effort to fund, design, construct, and operate the Giant Magellan Telescope. The GMTO President is the CEO of the corporation. She/he has leadership responsibilities on behalf of the corporation and its Board of Directors.

A primary responsibility of the GMTO Board of Directors and the President of GMTO is to ensure that there is sufficient funding to enable the construction and operation of the GMT. Currently GMTO is pursuing additional project partners as well as philanthropic support. The President will work collaboratively with the GMTO Board Development Committee, the partner institutions, and the Board to secure the necessary funding. The President will actively manage the efforts to raise funds for the partnership as a whole and provide support for the fund-raising efforts being carried out by each of the partners. The President and the GMTO Board Development Committee must be sensitive to the balance between fund-raising by individual partners and fund-raising by GMTO on behalf of all partners.

The President will be a primary point of contact between GMTO (as an organization) and each of the partner institutions, working with the Founder Representatives and the GMTO Board to develop effective relationships between GMTO and the administrations of each of the partners. Working cooperatively with the GMTO Board Development Committee and the Founder Representatives, the President will develop strong relationships with the development officers and Foundations/development offices of the partner institutions. The President will oversee the implementation of outreach and education efforts supporting partner development efforts.

The President will provide leadership of GMTO, enabling the efforts of other members of the management team (including the Director, Project Manager, and Project Scientist) and the rest of the GMTO staff to execute the construction and prepare for the operations of the GMT. The President is responsible for creating and nurturing a team environment and providing leaders of the organization with the resources and direction necessary for them to be successful in meeting their responsibilities. The President should promote a positive organizational culture of trust, respect, and collaboration within the workplace.

The GMTO Director, who reports to the President, leads the management of the technical and scientific activities of GMTO, including supervision of the construction of the GMT and the preparation for observatory operations. The President and Director will share responsibility for interactions with the external astronomical community, representing the Project to astronomers, government agencies, and professional organizations. Currently, the GMTO Project Manager and Project Scientist report to the Director. The Director, in close collaboration with the Project Manager, presents the Project Execution Plan to the Board for its approval and develops the annual project budget, which is a component of the President’s annual GMTO budget.

Working with our GMTO representative in Chile, the President will be responsible for our relationship with the Chilean government and other relevant parties.

Challenges and Opportunities

In the coming years, the President will have the opportunity to make an impact in several crucial areas:

 Leadership and Vision – The President will set a vision for the organization and will marshal the necessary and sufficient intellectual, human, and fiscal resources in the service of this historic milestone. The President will delineate responsibilities, set priorities, and determine the objectives to ensure success. She/he will promote organizational harmony and engage internal and external constituents through strong leadership to encourage cooperation and collaboration among the senior leadership of the organization. In order to improve organizational performance, the President will help streamline internal and external communications and update business processes leading to broad-based participation in decision-making.  Fundraising and Expanding Funding Opportunities – The Giant Magellan Telescope Organization has raised over $500 million for the construction and operations of the Giant Magellan Telescope. The next President will need to increase funding for the GMT by actively seeking new partnerships with other universities and research institutions, as well as developing new support from federal agencies, the private sector, foundations, and private philanthropy.

 Building Collaborations as a Community of Innovators – In order to integrate new staff, scientists, project leads, managers, and partners into the GMTO organization, the President will support and encourage growth, discovery and innovation. In so doing, the President will spread expertise throughout the GMTO organization and outward. This cycle aims to create an environment whereby individuals feel part of the broader GMT partnership and that their personal success is enhanced by the community. This priority strives to foster a sense of connection to the GMTO partnership by developing incentives to innovate and promote excellence, finding new opportunities through outreach activities to public organizations and industry, and to emphasize and advertise the historic achievement that GMT represents to the wider scientific community, and to humanity as a whole.

 Effective Advocacy and New Partnership Development – With two other “Extremely Large Telescopes” in various phases of development, and with each project possessing its own strengths and unique challenges, the President will need to effectively communicate and emphasize the unique strengths of the Giant Magellan Telescope to partners, potential partners, and the general public. There are many aspects of the GMT that give it significant advantages, including its location, cutting-edge adaptive optics, wide field of vision, the project timeline, and the large 8.4-meter mirror segments, the largest amongst the ELT telescopes.

Qualifications

Key Requirements  An earned doctorate or other terminal degree;  Demonstrated experience developing and growing new revenue streams, including such areas as private philanthropy, extramural grants from federal agencies, governmental and private sector contracts, and securing foundation support;  A proven history of executive level administrative experience and a record of sound fiscal, organizational and management practices;  Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability and a commitment to listening and problem solving;  Experience developing an esprit-de-corps among staff coupled with the ability to create a culture that is proactive, transparent, and collaborative;  The ability to delegate responsibility to senior subordinates allowing them to identify the ways and means to accomplish specific operational goals and objectives;  Experience developing and executing a powerful, yet realistic vision for a complex organization and success in implementing a strategic plan to achieve that vision;  The ability to serve as GMTO’s principal spokesperson with well-developed diplomatic and political skills;  A demonstrated ability to translate relationships with partners and new supporters into effective fundraising efforts on behalf of the GMTO.

Other Preferred Characteristics  Prior experience in an academic (or equivalent administrative) environment, preferably at a Tier-1 major research university as a Dean, Provost, Vice President for Research, or President or similar leadership role in the corporate, FFRDC (National Lab), and/or government arenas.  A nationally and internationally recognized reputation;  A history of substantial and consistent extramural research funding;  Experience managing and reporting to Boards;  A leadership style that has exhibited a proactive, results-oriented stand towards achieving outcomes in complicated, changing, multifaceted environments;  A demonstrated ability to handle conflict and ambiguity coupled with the skills necessary to make and explain hard decisions;  A proven record of success in energizing an organization to achieve its mission, execute on its vision, and advance its reputation;  A demonstrated ability to maintain and motivate a strong and effective leadership team;  The ability to relate effectively to diverse internal and external constituents and effectively promote the value of the GMTO, as well as bridge the gap between divergent constituencies.

Candidates from all disciplines are encouraged to apply for the opportunity. A background in astronomy, physics, or astrophysics is not required; however, the best candidates will possess the natural ability to lead a team of world-class scientists, engineers, and managers and a clearly discernible passion for science. Application and Nomination Process The Search Committee will begin reviewing applications immediately and will continue to accept applications and nominations until the position is filled. Applicants must submit a current curriculum vitae and a letter of interest describing relevant experience and interest in the position. Submission of materials via e-mail is strongly encouraged. Nomination letters should include the name, position, address and telephone number of the nominee. All nominations and applications will be handled in confidence.

Applications and letters of nomination should be submitted to:

Alberto Pimentel, Managing Partner or Will Gates, Partner

Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates 6512 Painter Avenue Whittier, CA 90601 562-360-1353 (FAX)

Email: [email protected] Refer to code “GMTO- President” in the subject line

GMTO is an equal employment opportunity employer and will consider all qualified candidates without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status.