Presidents of two Disciples-related colleges and universities will retire at the end of the 2019-2020 academic year. Dr. Kenneth Garren will be retiring after nineteen years at the University of Lynchburg (VA) and Dr. Kelly Thompson after six years at Culver-Stockton College in Missouri. They have both made significant contributions to their respective institutions and, under their leadership, both schools have seen significant growth in student enrollment, programs and degrees offered, and the expansion of their campuses.
Dr. Garren came to serve as the 10thpresident of what was then Lynchburg College in the fall of 2001. Prior to this, he worked for NASA as an aerospace engineer, working on the Apollo and Gemini projects at NASA’s Langley Research Center. He then taught mathematics and served as dean at Roanoke College, his alma mater. During his term as President, the school grew its undergraduate enrollment by 32% and graduate programs by 169%, including doctoral degrees in physical therapy, educational leadership, and medical science. Under Dr. Garren’s leadership, the school has invested in facilities such as Schewel Hall, the Drysdale Student Center, and the education building and Belk Observatory at the Clay Nature Center. In the fall of 2018, Lynchburg College, which was founded in 1903, became the University of Lynchburg, a recognition of how much the school has transformed and grown over the years. In addition to the above-mentioned growth, the school has also become much more diverse, an intentional focus of Dr. Garren’s for many years. In the past, Dr. Garren has also served as the chair of the Council of Presidents for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
Dr. Kelly Thompson became the 26thpresident of Culver-Stockton College, the first woman to serve in this position, in the fall of 2014. Before arriving in Canton, Missouri, Dr. Thompson served another Disciples related institution, Barton College in North Carolina, as Vice President of External Relations and, prior to that, as Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing at Davenport University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. During her tenure as president, Culver-Stockton has seen a 30% increase in enrollment, the building of a new residence hall and renovations on other residence halls and academic buildings, the addition of master’s programs in education and athletic training, and the addition of women’s lacrosse and esports. In addition, the school has raised nearly $20 million as part of its comprehensive capital campaign. In addition, she has also recently served as the chair of the Council of Presidents for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) from 2016 to 2019.
Higher education has been a priority for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) since its beginning. Both Dr. Garren and Dr. Thompson have served their schools well and HELM gives thanks for their visionary leadership and their commitment to continuing the educational legacy of their schools.