The Iowa State University Research Park Board is searching for a new director.

An eight-member committee, chaired by Ben Allen, dean of the College of Business, has been formed to find someone to fill the position.

The position was left empty at the end of December when Leonard Goldman, the previous director, resigned.

David Roederer, economic development coordinator, has been serving as interim director since January. Roederer has not yet decided if he wants to apply for the position permanently.

Allen said the committee will be “very aggressive in getting the word out” to attract a “strong, diverse” group of applicants. “I’ll be very disappointed if we do not get a strong poll of candidates,” he said.

They plan to use the Internet as well as the traditional print advertisements to seek candidates nationally, he said.

John Dobson, associate vice provost and a member of the committee, said it will also contact the national organization of university research parks as a resource for potential candidates.

Allen said he is optimistic about attracting talented candidates because the board has a strong search committee and the position is “a great opportunity for someone.”

The committee has not yet finalized the position’s description or fixed a timetable for the selection process, but Allen said he hopes to complete the interviews by the end of the semester.

Roederer said the position is interesting because it is future-oriented. There are “a lot of exciting things going on and a lot of good people to work with,” he said.

Dobson said the purpose of the research park is to help “people with ideas related to Iowa State technologies or ideas that might promote economic development in Iowa to have a chance to get a start and move ahead as businesses.”

Roederer said his role in the past month has included managing the park’s buildings and property and assisting companies in areas where they need assistance.

Other committee members are Russ Cross, chair of the ISU Research Park Board of Directors; John Fitzgibbon, a Des Moines businessman; Kim Russel, CEO of Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames; Jamie Wade, the vice president and general counsel of Engineering Animation Inc. in Ames; Deland Myers, associate professor of food science and human nutrition; Carol Bradley, director of governmental relations for ISU; and John Dobson, associate vice provost at ISU.

Nominations and applications should be sent to Ben Allen, ISU Research Park Director Search Committee, Office of the Provost, 107 Beardshear Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011-2021.

The official description of the position will be available March 1 on the park’s Web site at http://www.public.iastate.edu/~isupark/.