ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – Winthrop University’s Board of Trustees will soon launch a search for the institution’s 12th president.
Appointing a president is one of the most important responsibilities of the Board of Trustees, according to board Chairman Glenn McCall. “Members want a president who will be charged with building upon and enhancing the university’s record of accomplishment and innovation, while guiding Winthrop to increased levels of excellence and service,” McCall said.
The last permanent president, Dan Mahony, left Winthrop in February 2020 right before the pandemic upended higher education. Working closely with board leadership, George Hynd has led the institution in an interim capacity since March 2020.
Leading the search effort will be Julie Fowler of Simpsonville, South Carolina, who is the superintendent of education’s designee on the board. Trustees will hire a professional executive search company or consultant to assist in determining potential candidates who could be successful at Winthrop, as well as vetting them as the search proceeds.
All trustees will be members of the presidential search committee, and they will rely on a volunteer university advisory committee representing the campus and community. The presidential search advisory committee will be led by Gloria Jones, retired dean of University College, and Peter Moroni '07, '09, president of the Winthrop Foundation's board of directors. The committee will hold listening sessions, review the institutional profile, host candidates and more.
A timeline for the search will be shared soon in order to hire a president to start
in the summer of 2022 when Hynd’s contract ends. A presidential search website will
be launched next month.
For more information, contact Judy Longshaw, news and media services manager, at longshawj@winthrop.edu.
