The Washington College Board of Visitors and Governors (BVG) is launching the search for the next permanent president, with the goal of installing this individual by the beginning of the 2021-22 academic year.
Dr. Wayne Powell was appointed as Interim President in September 2020. Upon his hiring, it was announced that he would serve in this temporary capacity while the College conducted a search for the right candidate to lead the institution on a long-term basis.
Powell and current BVG Chair, Steve Golding, have jointly recommended that it is in the College’s long term best interest to begin that search now. “Significant strides have been made and will continue to be made over the course of this year towards addressing the College’s near-term issues; but to effectively transition to a long-term investment strategy in the future requires a commitment to stable presidential leadership,” said Powell.
The Board has committed to an inclusive process that strives to be as transparent as possible, within the confines of the confidentiality that potential candidates require. As was the case with the selection of the current interim president, a search firm will assist in this important process. Additionally, the Board will be seeking nominations from the campus community and friends in order to cast the widest net possible in the search for the very best individual to lead Washington College.
Further details about the search process will be communicated over the next several weeks.
“Washington College is entering a unique period in its history, and my discussions with Dr. Powell give me confidence that our strengths offer unlimited opportunities for future generations of students who are entrusted in our care to educate,” said Golding. “It will be our singular focus over the next several months to seek an individual who will build on our legacy as a residential liberal arts college, while simultaneously empowering a culture of innovation and thoughtful transformation to lead this great institution into its third century.”
About Washington College
Founded in 1782, Washington College is the tenth oldest college in the nation and the first chartered under the new Republic. With an emphasis on hands-on, experiential learning in the arts and sciences, and more than 40 multidisciplinary areas of study, the College is home to nationally recognized academic centers in the environment, history, and writing. Learn more at washcoll.edu.
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