KAHULUI » The University of Hawaii Board of Regents has formed an advisory committee to start the search for the next president of the 10-campus UH system.

UH President David McClain, 61, is scheduled to step down July 31 and take a yearlong, paid sabbatical.

Board Chairman Allan Landon announced the formation of the Advisory Presidential Selection Committee at the Board of Regents meeting yesterday.

The committee will initially decide on the criteria for a new president and how the selection process will proceed.

The 12-member committee will hold its first meeting in the next several weeks, Landon said. He said there is no formal timetable, but he hopes the selection process will be decided by the end of the year and that a new president will be chosen by July.

The panel will be led by former UH regent and Bank of Hawaii Vice Chairwoman Donna Tanoue.

Other members are UH regents Kitty Lagareta, Jim Haynes and Ron Migita; UH-Manoa faculty members David Karl and Naomi Losch; UH Vice President of Community Colleges John Morton; Kamehameha Schools President Michael Chun; Ernst & Young LLP managing partner Terri Fujii, Shidler Group managing partner Jay Shidler; former Hawaii Government Employees Association Executive Director Russell Okata; and graduate student Shanah Trevenna.

“;It's hard for me to imagine something more important than the selection of the president of the university,”; Landon said.

Once the selection process is decided, the committee could become the basis of the search committee and more members might be added, Landon said. But he said his preference is for a smaller committee.

“;It's my experience that smaller may be better,”; Landon said.

UH-Manoa Faculty Senate Chairman Klaus Keil presented the board with a resolution urging that there be substantial faculty representation on the search committee.

Other regents asked that the board consider more neighbor island representation and more ethnic diversity.

“;We're hopeful that we've got a good balance,”; Landon said, adding that the committee composition could change once the selection process is decided.