The College of the Ozarks has announced that President Jerry Davis is transitioning to a role as chancellor and the school’s Board of Trustees has started the process of finding his successor.
Davis, who has led the private Christian school in Point Lookout, Missouri, since 1988, will assume his new role effective June 1, the college said in a news release. College of the Ozarks spokesperson Sawyer Nichols described it as a lateral move that will allow Davis to focus more on fundraising.
Davis said in the release that as chancellor, he’ll be “visiting the (college’s) increasing numbers of friends and donors across the country.”
“I am proud of what we have accomplished, and I have no doubt our next president will build upon the successful momentum generated by our outstanding faculty, staff, and students,” he said.
Davis had discussed his new role with Board Chairman General Terrence Dake in early 2020 but decided to delay the transition to help the school navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. The college was among those that maintained in-person classes during the 2020-2021 school year, according to the release.
“We are grateful for his steady hand during the national crisis,” Dake said in the release.
Under Davis’ leadership, there has been more than $50 million of new construction on campus, the school’s endowment has increased and the college has remained debt free. He established The Keeter Center for Character Education, which has hosted speakers including former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Dr. Ben Carson.
Nursing and engineering programs were launched under Davis and the School of the Ozarks, a K-12 Christian laboratory school, was re-established.
The college’s enrollment in fall 2020 was reported to be 1,489.
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