Newberry College Appoints Sid Parrish to Lead Institutional Effectiveness as Don Johnson-Taylor Retires
August 3, 2014
NEWBERRY, SC – Donald W. Johnson-Taylor will retire as Newberry College’s executive director of Institutional Effectiveness on Friday, Aug. 1. Sid Parrish, Jr., currently associate director of Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment and SACS associate accreditation liaison, will assume the role of executive director on Aug. 2.
“Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to work for organizations that placed great emphasis on succession planning,” Johnson-Taylor said. “Knowing that my retirement was approaching, Sid Parrish was identified as the logical successor for my position. Sid and I have worked closely throughout that time and I leave Newberry College absolutely confident that his experience, technical training, people skills and youthful energy will help take the College to even greater heights.”
Johnson-Taylor joined Newberry College in 2006 as the associate vice president of Academic Affairs. He was named executive director of Institutional Effectiveness in 2008, where he oversaw strategic planning, accreditation and institutional technology initiatives.
Johnson-Taylor brought a wealth of experience to Newberry College gained from leadership positions held in the automotive and business intelligence consulting sectors. He was CEO of Volvo Penta of America, a company within the Fortune 500 Volvo Group. Prior to that he was a vice president Product Planning and Development for Volvo North America and director of Regulatory Affairs and Product Planning for SAAB Scania.
Don Johnson-Taylor (left), Sid Parrish (right)
In true entrepreneurial fashion, Johnson-Taylor also was the founder and CEO of four multi-million dollar consulting firms specializing in data-driven market intelligence and analysis. He also has been active in his church and the community, serving on numerous boards of community and civic organizations.
Sid Parrish has 14 years of experience in higher education. He joined Newberry College in 2006 as assistant professor of Chemistry and was advanced to associate professor in 2008. In 2012 he took on the role of associate director of Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment and SACSCOC associate accreditation liaison. He led a team that designed a student learning-focused assessment system from the ground up and led the College’s transition to this powerful online database and reporting system.
Parrish also helped lead the 2012 Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) reaffirmation effort. Prior to joining Newberry College, Parrish held faculty positions at North Carolina Wesleyan College in South Carolina and Midland Lutheran College in Nebraska.
Parrish earned both his Ph.D. and master of science degrees in Physical Chemistry from the University of Florida, and received his bachelor of science degree in Chemistry from Furman University.
“I look forward to continuing our work of driving forward initiatives that will enhance the academic experience for students and improve the effectiveness and productivity of faculty and staff,” Parrish said. “The systems and tools that we have put in place and will build upon will allow the College to make strategic and data-driven decisions that will benefit the entire campus community.”
Newberry College is private, residential, co-educational college with a diverse student population. The College offers baccalaureate degrees in 28 majors, 35 minors, 31 areas of concentration and 10 pre-professional programs. The College features a radio and television station and offers 17 NCAA Division II sports as well as cheerleading and dance. Founded in 1856 by the Lutheran Church, the college is accredited by The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and the National Association of Schools of Music. Newberry College was ranked in the top tier of regional colleges in the South in the 2013 issue of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges in the U.S. For more information about Newberry College, go to www.newberry.edu
