Atlanta — October 5, 2011

Regent James Jolly, chair of the Special Regents’ Committee for the presidential search at Gordon College in Barnesville, Ga., and University System of Georgia (USG) chief operating officer Steve Wrigley have announced the names of the three finalists for the Gordon College presidency.

A national search was launched to replace Gordon College President Dr. Lawrence Weill, who stepped down as president, effective June 30, 2010. Ms. Shelley Nickel has served as interim president since Dr. Weill stepped down. Dr. Weill served as Gordon College’s president for eight years.

The recommended finalists are:

Dr. Max Burns, dean, Mike Cottrell School of Business at North Georgia College & State University (Dahlonega, Ga.) from 2008. Prior to his current appointment, Burns served as associate dean and chair of the business administration department at the Cottrell School of Business. Before his appointment as chair, Burns was a candidate for the 12th congressional district of Georgia. He also worked as a senior policy advisor at Thelen, Reid and Priest, LLP, and served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from the 12th congressional district of Georgia for one term. Burns has been a professor at a number of international and domestic universities.

Burns holds a Ph.D. from Georgia State University in business administration, a masters of business information systems from Georgia State University and a bachelor’s of industrial engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, all in Atlanta, Ga.

Dr. Delmas Crisp Jr., executive vice president and academic dean, Methodist University (Fayetteville, N.C.) from 2007. For a brief period, Crisp also served as the interim president of Methodist University. Prior to his appointment as executive vice president, Crisp served as vice president for academic affairs, dean, chair and professor of English at Wesleyan College in Macon, Ga. He has also served as head of the English department, director of freshman English and professor at Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, La.

Crisp earned his Ph.D. in British medieval and renaissance literature, linguistics; a master’s in British literature with emphasis in medieval literature and a bachelor’s in English from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Miss.

Dr. Donna Henry, dean, College of Arts and Sciences at Florida Gulf Coast University (Fort Meyers, Fl.) from 2005. Prior to her appointment as dean, Henry served as director of the Whitaker Center for Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education and professor at Florida Gulf Coast. Other positions include that of chair and study abroad director at Saint Thomas University in Miami, Fl.

Henry received her Ph.D. in physiology from Thomas Jefferson University and a bachelor’s in biological basis of behavior from the University of Pennsylvania, both in Philadelphia, Pa.

The Board of Regents is expected to name the next president of Gordon College at a future meeting.

« News Releases