Converse College announces UNC Charlotte leader as tenth president
April 19, 2016
The Converse College Board of Trustees announced the selection of Krista Newkirk, J.D., currently the chief of staff for the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, as the College’s tenth president. A respected and passionate leader with broad knowledge and experience across the higher education landscape, Newkirk brings to Converse a strong history of maximizing the potential and impact of the institutions and organizations she serves. She will begin her tenure on July 1, 2016.
Advised by a search committee that included trustees, alumnae, students, faculty, and staff, the Board of Trustees enthusiastically approved Newkirk’s appointment. The comprehensive national search began last October when President Betsy Fleming announced her intention to step down on June 30, 2016, after serving for eleven years.
Ben Wall, chair of the Converse Board of Trustees, said, “As a highly respected and effective leader who is primed for even greater responsibility, Krista Newkirk is an ideal leader for Converse College. As her experience demonstrates, she is a strategic thinker who understands all facets of the higher education enterprise; she skillfully leverages partnerships to achieve mutual success; and she is an outstanding collaborator who knows how to build consensus across multiple stakeholders with diverse interests.”
“Thanks to the exceptional leadership of President Betsy Fleming,” Wall continued, “Converse has created a strong position among America’s best liberal arts colleges. Krista shares our deep commitment to our mission and to continuing this work.”
As UNC Charlotte’s first chief of staff, Newkirk provides oversight of the University’s strategic goals and initiatives, plays a central role in addressing major issues confronting the University, manages large-scale institutional projects across divisions, works closely with the Board of Trustees, and oversees annual budget allocations. Prior to serving as chief of staff, she was senior associate general counsel for UNC Charlotte, and worked as an attorney in both private practice and at a Fortune 300 company.
“I am humbled and honored to have been selected to serve as the next President of Converse College,” Newkirk said. “Converse has created a magnetic educational experience because of the value it places on both academic excellence and co-curricular opportunities. I look forward to working with the trustees, faculty, staff, students, alumnae, and members of the community to continue this work, finding new ways to strengthen Converse and to provide value for our students and alumnae.”
Philip L. Dubois, chancellor of UNC Charlotte, said, “Krista will be an outstanding president of Converse College. She brings a wealth of administrative and legal experience to the job. We’ll miss her superb organizational skills, her ability to lead collegial and effective planning exercises, her insights into solving difficult problems, and her great sense of humor. The Trustees at Converse have made an exemplary choice.”
Newkirk spent most of her childhood in Missouri, and graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She earned her Juris Doctor from the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William & Mary. She is a graduate of Leadership North Carolina and has served on a number of boards, including as Chair of the Education Section of the North Carolina Bar Association, as Vice Chair and Secretary of the Board of Directors for Metrolina Regional Scholars’ Academy, and on the Women + Girls Research Alliance.
About Converse College
Converse College, a master’s university in Spartanburg, S.C., offers a distinctive undergraduate education for women and innovative programs for co-ed graduate study. The College’s high-quality, personalized education provides great value and return on investment for students, activating their voice and inspiring bold vision for advancing communities and professions. Last fall, Converse celebrated its largest undergraduate enrollment in more than 25 years. For more information, visit www.converse.edu.
Converse College made national headlines for reducing tuition 43% in 2014, becoming a leader among colleges and universities aiming to increase transparency in higher education pricing and respond to the call for college affordability. Every Converse student realized savings through the tuition reset.
Converse’s accomplishments, evolution and growth under Fleming’s leadership have transformed the institution, building upon the College’s distinctive strengths in order to best serve undergraduate, adult and graduate students today. Advancements include new academic programs, building a highly competitive intercollegiate athletic program as the only women’s college competing at the NCAA Division II level, raising more than $76 million to support all aspects of the College, enhancing the physical plant through construction of new and renovation of existing facilities, launching bold strategic enrollment initiatives including a 43% reduction in tuition price, reducing the College’s discount rate from over 60% to 26%, and establishing the Converse International School to support new partnerships with universities around the world. These efforts have resulted in expanded visibility for Converse on both regional and national fronts, and over the last decade a 20% increase in net assets and 30% growth in the traditional undergraduate student population.
