Board of Trustees member Dr. Bill Tate congratulates Dr. David W. Bushman on becoming president. Dr. Tate made the announcement to the College community on behalf of the Board.
14 April 2005
The Lees-McRae College Board of Trustees voted unanimously to appoint Dr. David W. Bushman as the next president of the College on Monday, April 11, 2005. The appointment followed a national search over the past six months involving more than 90 qualified candidates for the presidency. Dr. Bushman’s appointment is effective immediately.
The appointment was announced by the Chair of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Harold B. ‘Hal’ Hopfenberg. “On behalf of the Board of Trustees,” said Dr. Hopfenberg. “I am delighted that Dr. Bushman has agreed to accept the appointment as the 13th president of Lees-McRae College. We are confident that Dr. Bushman is the right person to provide the needed leadership to guide this wonderful, small college through its next period of growth. The Board of Trustees looks forward to working with Dr. Bushman and a dedicated faculty and staff in the education of our students and fulfilling the mission of this college.”
Dr. Bushman has served as a tenured faculty member in biology, department chair and dean of academic services at Mount St. Mary’s University in Maryland. Upon joining Lees-McRae in June of 2004, Dr. Bushman served as the senior vice president for Academic Affairs and dean of the faculty. He has served as interim president of the College since October of 2004.
“With Dr. Bushman’s experience and service at Lees-McRae over the past 10 months, we know there will be a seamless and effective transition into the Presidency,” Dr. Hopfenberg said.
Dr. Tom Ratchford, trustee of the College, served as the Chair of the Search Committee. “We are excited Dr. Bushman has agreed to serve as President,” he said. “Throughout the search process Dr. Bushman exhibited many of the strong qualities we were seeking. I am grateful to all members of the committee for their extraordinary effort in the search and for their commitment to the college.”
Other committee members include: Mrs. Jane Baucom Stephenson ’57, college trustee; Dr. John Blalock ’91, college trustee; Mr. Ed Hood, college trustee; Dr. Gene Spears, interim vice president for academic affairs and faculty member, Dr. Michael Joslin, chair of the humanities division and faculty member; Mr. Ried Estus, athletic director; Mrs. Sandy Ramsey, director of alumni affairs; Ms. Leanne Cook, student government association president; and Dr. John Kuykendall, president emeritus of Davidson College.
Upon accepting the appointment, Dr. Bushman stated, “I am honored to have been selected as the next president of Lees-McRae College. I am committed to the success of our students and to the future of Lees-McRae and its place in the liberal arts tradition. I look forward to working with our students as well as our faculty and staff to fulfill the mission of our College and the vision of our founder. My family and I are excited about living in Banner Elk and becoming a part of this community.” Dr. Bushman is married to Suzanne and they have two children, Emily, 12 and Will, 9.
Lees-McRae College, founded in 1900, is a four year-liberal arts college affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, USA, located in the mountains of western North Carolina in Banner Elk. The college’s hallmark is dedication to service learning and offers majors in 24 fields.