Candidates apply for open Academy athletic director position Published Oct. 3, 2014 By U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Now that the application window for the Air Force Academy's next athletic director has closed, Academy officials say the next step in the hiring process involves a five-member screening panel scheduled to meet this month. The panel will bring a wide variety of experience and cross-functional expertise to the hiring process and include the perspectives of the college president, the Academy's Board of Visitors, an active duty Air Force senior officer, Academy staff and faculty, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, and Air Force Personnel Center expertise, said Laurie Carroll, the Academy's personnel director. Demographics of the panel include male and female representation, Academy graduates and non-graduates, competitive athletes and non-athletes, and minority representatives, she said. Screening panel members will rate and rank application packages based on carefully developed qualification requirements and responses to assessment questions. Academy Human Resources experts will provide instruction and assistance to the panel on the rating and ranking process. The screening panel will then determine which candidates will be referred to an interview panel. "We anticipate a group of about 10-to-15 candidates will go forward to the interview process," Carroll said. In November, a three-member panel will conduct interviews at the Academy and the results will be provided to the Academy Superintendent, Lt. Gen. Michelle D. Johnson. Dates and times for final interviews with General Johnson have not yet been scheduled, but the general said this process is a historic moment. "This is remarkable in that this is the first time we (the Air Force Academy) have hired a new athletic director through the standard general schedule hiring process, and we're extremely excited to open it up to the vast talent pool across America," General Johnson said. "We are looking for a leader who will embrace and promote our values embodied in our culture of commitment and climate of respect." The Academy received 50 applications for its athletic director position and Carroll said a number of highly qualified candidates have applied. She expects the final number of those meeting minimum qualifications to be about 40. The future athletic director must have experience in promoting strong academic values and foster the Air Force's core values and professionalism at all levels, Carroll said. "We are excited about the quality of the candidates," she said. Dr. Hans Mueh, the current athletic director, is scheduled to retire in 2015.