About 70 parents attended the annual Parents’ Association meeting in the Marvin Center Saturday to discuss the state of GW and the search for a new University President.

After Saturday’s meeting, some parents praised Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, who will be stepping down as University President in July 2007, and discussed qualities they would like to see in the University’s next president.

“President Trachtenberg has personality. He’s out there, talking to different parents. He is personable and approachable,” said Pam O’Neill, mother of Kerry, a junior at GW.

The Parents’ Association was established in 1994 and serves as a forum for parents to discuss issues relevant to campus. The group works with the University to suggest changes.

“He has an ability to talk to every single person and make them feel comfortable,” said Sandy Kramer, a member of the Parents’ Association Advisory Council. “He is a warm person, which is especially important when leaving your child at a new school.”

“President Trachtenberg has raised the level of excellence at this university,” Kramer said. “We need someone who will not necessarily follow in the footsteps of Trachtenberg, but who will continue in his own way taking the University in the right direction.”

As of last week, the Presidential Search Committee has received 102 applications for the GW presidency. The committee is set to present a list of candidates to the Board of Trustees by January 2007.

Father Rich Feeley said he would like to see a University president who “shared the same long term vision; someone who is adept at the job but still keeps a good sense humor like Trachtenberg.”

Although the Parents’ Association does not have a representative on the Presidential Search Committee, some members on the Board of Trustees are parents of current students.

Some issues discussed at the meeting included advising for students, the new food options and the security measures taken to safeguard students.