President Bill Greer announced Thursday during chapel his plans to retire at the end of the 2023-24 academic year. After 13 years of presidency, Greer will transition into the role of Chancellor in the summer of 2024.
Greer, a 1985 Milligan graduate, served for 12 years as a professor of economics at Milligan beginning in 1994 before becoming vice president of institutional advancement in 2006. In 2011, he took office as Milligan’s 15th president.
“I am extremely proud of the mission-focused work that we have accomplished together,” Greer said in his announcement. “We have improved and expanded our campus and added significant new academic programs which have transformed and diversified our curriculum.”
In an interview with the Stampede, Greer said he is most proud of consistently improving the student experience.
“I have maintained a constant vision for Milligan,” Greer said. “And that is for Milligan to flourish and grow. We needed to diversify our curriculum and offer new programs that were mission supportive and market relevant, all of which we’ve done.”
The Board of Trustees will conduct a nationwide search for Greer’s successor. According to Greer, the search committee for the next president will consist of 11 people, including six trustees, one male and female faculty member, a staff member, a student, and an alumni. These individuals have not been decided on yet. The committee will meet periodically throughout the year, review the submitted applications and decide which ones they want to invite for further consideration.
In his new role as chancellor, Greer will dedicate most of his time to helping the next president be successful while also assisting in fundraising for capital projects.
“I plan on helping to expand Milligan’s residential facilities like finishing the village and possibly replacing Webb,” he said. “We’d also like to improve some of our athletic facilities, particularly in getting an on-campus track.”
Greer said that he has viewed his role as president from a leadership perspective and that his No. 1 goal has been to protect the integrity of the Milligan diploma.
“I want to make sure that everything we do contributes toward the diploma being viewed with respect from outsiders and that it symbolizes top quality students,” he said.
Senior Maddie Manear noted her admiration for Greer and his thoughtfulness during the pandemic.
“I appreciate that President Greer is very respected and approachable,” Manear said. “I also thought he did a wonderful job navigating us through the pandemic. He was wise and understanding.”
Headline photo by Dave Ongie from The Business Journal of Tri-Cities