The College of Charleston Board of Trustees today announced the names of four finalists for the position of 22nd president of the College of Charleston.
The finalists for the position are:
Andrew H. Card, Jr., Executive Director in the Office of the Provost, Texas A&M University. Mr. Card previously served as Acting Dean of The Bush School of Government & Public Service at Texas A&M University. He has held multiple positions in government service, including work as Chief of Staff to President George W. Bush and as U.S. Secretary of Transportation for President George H.W. Bush. Mr. Card also served as Vice President for Government Relations for General Motors Corporation, among other positions in business and government service. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina.
Dennis J. Encarnation, international business consultant and faculty (retired), Harvard University. Dr. Encarnation previously held academic positions at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and at the Harvard Business School. He has also held teaching and research posts at Stanford University, Davidson College, and University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He received his bachelor’s degree from the College of Charleston and his master’s and doctoral degrees from Duke University.
Glenn F. McConnell, Lieutenant Governor for the State of South Carolina. Mr. McConnell is a former South Carolina State Senator and former President Pro Tempore for the South Carolina Senate. He has previously been in private legal practice and has been a business owner. He received his bachelor’s degree from the College of Charleston and his law degree from the University of South Carolina.
Martha D. Saunders, Provost and Professor, University of West Florida. Dr. Saunders is the former President of Southern Mississippi and former Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. She has held various academic posts at Columbus State University and the University of West Florida. She received her bachelor’s degree from University of Southern Mississippi, her master’s degree from University of Georgia, and doctoral degree from Florida State University.
“The Board of Trustees is very pleased with the quality and the experience of the candidates named as finalists for the position of president of the College of Charleston,” said Greg Padgett, chair of the College’s Board of Trustees and chair of the Presidential Search Committee. “Each candidate would bring a unique set of strengths and capabilities to their leadership of the College, and we look forward to receiving feedback from all of our campus constituencies, and the larger community, on each of these finalists.”
Padgett added: “I want to extend my deepest thanks to the members of the Board for their work in selecting the presidential finalists. I also want to thank the members of the Presidential Search Committee for their dedication and commitment in reviewing the large pool of potential candidates and recommending candidates to the Board of Trustees.”
Throughout this process, the College has been assisted by AGB Search, a leading national search firm.
The Board of Trustees will develop a schedule for the campus visits that includes dates at which students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members can meet and talk to the candidates. The complete vita of each candidate, and the schedule of campus interviews, will be posted as soon as it is available to the College of Charleston Presidential Search Website.
