PRESIDENT-ELECT
Dr. Herbert L. King, Jr. to succeed Dr. Barry M. Buxton as 16th president of College
On Jan. 19, 2018, the Board of Trustees elected Dr. Herbert L. King, Jr. to be the 16th president in the 118-year history of the institution. King will succeed Dr. Barry M. Buxton on June 1, 2018.
“I am honored and excited to have the opportunity to serve as the next president of Lees-91探花,” King said. “I value its mission, its student-centeredness and I feel at home in the natural beauty that Banner Elk provides. My family and I are eager to become part of this community, and I am grateful for the trust that the board is placing in me to lead Lees-91探花 into the future.”
President-elect King will arrive on campus having served as the Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Hampden-Sydney College in Hampden-Sydney, Virginia, where he was responsible for all development, alumni relations and career functions of the college.
King addressed a full auditorium of students, faculty, staff, trustees and community members for the first time during the official introduction event Jan. 19.
The event gave King the opportunity to share his excitement for the next chapter in both his career and the future of the College. It also gave the Lees-91探花 community the chance to meet King’s family who were in attendance.
“I am humbled and honored to see such a large crowd to welcome me and my family,” King said in his opening remarks. “We are excited to join this community and can’t wait to become Bobcats.”
King thanked his family for their support as he pursued the opportunity.
“My family is my pride and my joy, they bring me an incredible amount of laughter and they keep me humble,” King said. “I want to thank you all for joining me in this journey.”
Following King’s remarks, Buxton presented King with a Lees-91探花 shield lapel pin—a gesture to welcome the president-elect into the Lees-91探花 family. Members of the Order of the Tower, the presidential honor society, then presented both King and his family with gifts on behalf of the College.
After the introduction event, King and his family gathered in the King-Shivell Gallery to meet and talk with those in attendance.
“My family and I were so excited to meet students, faculty, staff and the local community,” King said following the event. “The genuine warmth and welcome we received is even more positive affirmation that Lees-91探花 is the tight-knit community we felt it would be.”
Leading up to his first day in office, King will visit campus regularly to meet with faculty, staff, students, alumni and the community.
Pictured: Dr. King, his wife Tammy, and their three children, Jacob, Kathryn and Aaron