About Us

History

RPA Inc. is one of the leading executive recruitment and consulting firms for higher education institutions and nonprofit organizations. Richard Allen founded RPA Inc. in 1988 with the specific mission of assisting institutions of higher education in recruiting highly qualified senior personnel and in enhancing capacity to raise philanthropic income. The organization has grown steadily to become a comprehensive consulting firm offering executive recruitment services for the identification and placement of top administrative and cabinet-level officers.

RPA Inc. now employs a full staff in its administrative office in Williamsport, Pennsylvania and has a team of consultants who bring valuable knowledge and experience in facilitating executive searches. These consultants bring broad-based, hands-on expertise to RPA Inc. clients.

Since its inception, RPA Inc. has been privileged to serve the recruitment consulting needs of colleges and universities, elite public and private schools, and nationally renowned nonprofit organizations.

Consulting philosophy

RPA Inc. is dedicated to the philosophy that a recruitment effort is an opportunity to impact the future of an institution. Our guiding objective is to develop a full understanding of each client’s needs and to identify and seek out those professionals whose skill sets, values, and personal characteristics most closely match those criteria. Because of this, RPA Inc. does not rely on a static list of potential candidates.

For each search, a unique pool of candidates is developed. By making a deliberate and targeted outreach to potential candidates, we can identify an exceptional group with a demonstrated commitment to your institution’s mission and values.

Key factors leading to a successful search consulting relationship include:

  • extensive knowledge of your institution
  • diligence in contacting a broad pool of qualified potential candidates
  • advocacy on behalf of your institution
  • honesty in presenting all information to both your institution and candidates
  • persistence in eliciting nominations and candidacies
  • extensive knowledge of candidates
  • thoroughness in pursuing background information and reference checking
  • timeliness in completing tasks and reporting progress