Reinhardt President Search Narrows To 3 Candidates

Photo: from left to right, Dr. Colleen Keith, Dr. Kina Mallard and Dr. Ronald Dempsey. Credit: Reinhardt University

Stakeholders tasked with finding a new president for Reinhardt University have narrowed the pool down from 70 applicants to three candidates, the school said on Thursday.

Those three individuals — Dr. Kina S. Mallard, executive vice president and provost of Carson-Newman University; Dr. Ronald D. Dempsey, vice president for advancement and university development at Southern Polytechnic State University; and Dr. Colleen P. Keith, the president of Spartanburg Methodist College — are all slated to visit the school’s main campus in Waleska over the next two weeks.

They will meet with large and small groups of students, faculty, staff, alumni, trustees and communities and also embark on “extensive” campus tours, the university said in its press release.

“Reinhardt’s presidential search has generated a wonderful pool of talented and well qualified applicants,” said Reinhardt Board of Trustees and Search Committee Chair William G. Hasty, Jr. “After extensive discussion, the search committee narrowed the pool of 70 applicants to the top eight, and last week we held two days of off-campus interviews with those selected candidates. We then narrowed that list to the top three we think will be the best fit for Reinhardt. We have dedicated a great deal of time to this process, and it was a real challenge because we had such an experienced and talented group of men and women to consider.”

Hasty added he wants to ensure that the campus visits are informative for both the candidates and students, alumni, faculty, staff and other stakeholders.

“The campus visits allow candidates and their spouses to meet people and learn first-hand about our university so they develop a real sense of the personalities, programs and facilities that make Reinhardt so special,” he said. “After our trustees, faculty, staff, students, alumni and community meet the candidates, we want them to share their impressions and be a part of this important selection process. We want to select the president who can best continue Reinhardt’s current path of student dedication, success and growth.”

Hasty noted the search for a new president is proceeding well, adding he believes each candidate ”brings a varied and rich resume of educational success, leadership and experience to the table.”

“Also all are very community oriented and are looking forward to promoting the many opportunities Reinhardt presents,” he stated. “To be so close to Atlanta, to have such a beautiful campus, and to have so many possibilities for growth, well, Reinhardt has a lot of potential.”

Anyone who meets the candidates is encouraged to provide feedback using a form on Reinhardt’s website by Jan. 21. Reinhardt trustees will use the input to select the institution’s next president in February.

A brief overview of each candidates:

• Dr. Kina S. Mallard will visit the campus Jan. 20-21. Highlights from her 31-year career in higher education include five years as provost and vice president for academic affairs, then executive vice president and provost at Carson-Newman, Jefferson City, Tenn., and four years as academic dean at Gordon College, Wenham, Mass. She has a Ph.D. in communication and a master of arts in organizational communication, both from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tenn., and a bachelor of science in speech and theatre from Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, Tenn.
• Dr. Ronald D. Dempsey will be on campus Jan. 22-23. His educational credentials include a doctor of philosophy in sociology of religion and a master of divinity from Southern Seminary, Louisville, Ky.; an education specialist degree in higher education administration and a master of arts in sociology from the University of Louisville, Louisville, Ky.; a master of science in history and sociology of science and technology from the Georgia Institute of Technology; and a bachelor of arts in psychology from Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, N.C. He plans to complete a doctor of philosophy in sociology of science and technology from Georgia Tech later this year. With 10 years as vice president for advancement and university development at Southern Polytechnic State University, a unit of the University System of Georgia in Marietta, he also has advancement experience with Shorter University in Rome and Presbyterian College in Clinton, S.C., and experience in academic leadership, teaching and institutional research.
• Dr. Colleen P. Keith will be on campus Jan. 28-29. In addition to more than five years of experience as a college president, she also brings extensive experience in fund raising and administrative leadership. Her credentials include a bachelor of arts in political science from State University of New York, University Center at Binghamton, a master of education in educational counseling from the University of Pittsburgh, and a doctor of philosophy in higher education administration and student affairs from the Ohio State University.

The search committee is made up of trustees Marshall Day, Sr., Sharon Gay, James Hasson, Jr., the Hon. Ellen McElyea, the Rev. Dr. James Mooneyhan, Ken White, and Kathy Young; faculty members Dr. Jonathan Good, Dr. Katherine E. Hyatt and Dr. William J. DeAngelis; staff members Julie C. Fleming, Bill C. Popp and H. Nikki Hall; student government president Alexander Bryant; Alumni Board of Governors president Ryan Satterfield; community resident and former Cherokee County School Board Superintendent Marguerite Cline; president emeritus Dr. Floyd A. Falany; and committee secretary Kelly M. Morris.

For more on Reinhardt’s search for its 20th president, see the university’s website dedicated to the search or contact Kelly Morris at 770-720-5515 or KM@reinhardt.edu.

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