CIU Names Outgoing President of Midlands Tech to Board of Trustees

COLUMBIA, SC – The outgoing president of Midlands Technical College has been named to the Columbia International Board of Trustees. Dr. Marshall (Sonny) White Jr. is the fifth president of Midlands Tech and is a native of South Carolina. He is retiring from his position in January after eight years on the job.

White has an extensive background in higher education, business and industry, and in community service.

He served as executive vice president of Guilford Technical Community College in North Carolina, chair of the Clemson University College of Engineering and Sciences Advisory Board, and the chair of the Clemson University Foundation Board. He has also served on the North Carolina State University Pulp and Paper Foundation Board, the University of Georgia’s College of Family and Consumer Sciences Board of Visitors, the Guilford Technical Community College Foundation Board, the Clemson University Board of Visitors, and as an adjunct professor at the University of Georgia and Winthrop University.

White has more than 30 years of extensive large-scale business and industry experience, including service in both national and international leadership roles. His most recent private industry position was as a division president for Ciba Specialty Chemicals of Basel, Switzerland and High Point, N.C.

In the community, White serves on numerous boards including the Greater Columbia Chamber Board, EngenuitySC, Central SC Alliance, the Midlands Business Leadership Group, the Lexington County Development Corporation, the Midlands Education and Business Alliance, and the Regional Education Center Advisory Board. He is a member and former elder at Centennial ARP Church in Columbia.

White earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Textile Chemistry and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Clemson University, and has also participated in the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard University Business School. He has been recognized by Clemson University as a Distinguished Alumnus.

White replaces Dr. Russell L. French, a professor at the University of Tennessee, who has served on the CIU Board for 23 years.

Founded in 1923, Columbia International University is private, Christian and multidenominational. CIU specializes in Bible-centered professional development that prepares students to impact the nations with the message of Christ in ministry, missions and the marketplace. The university is recognized for its emphasis on biblical authority and world evangelization.  www.ciu.edu