B-CU Starts Search For New President

Daytona Beach, FL – The search is on again for who will be the next president to lead Bethune-Cookman University. Currently at the helm is Hiram Powell, who has served many roles in his 42 years at the university. He was named interim president last year after then-President Dr. E. LaBrent Chrite resigned from the post. At the time, it was unknown why Chrite was leaving. Later it was revealed that Chrite had accepted a similar position as president at Bentley University in Massachusetts. He took over as president of B-CU after interim president Hubert Grimes took over the position following the departure of Dr. Edison O. Jackson, who was the university’s sixth president; Chrite was the seventh. While serving as interim president, Powell helped launch the “Re-Imagining B-CU Now, Next & Beyond” project. The project is a “strategic planning effort geared toward identifying pathways to continue the strategic and financial betterment of the institution.” It will include an in-depth analysis of the school’s finances, a review of the school’s academic programs, and the size and health of its enrollment pipeline. A statement released by the board didn’t offer much information regarding the search, but it said it will conduct a multi-step approach to conduct an inclusive search to create a “diverse pool of qualified candidates.” “Selecting the next individual to lead the University is both an opportunity and a challenge enthusiastically embraced by Bethune-Cookman University’s Board of Trustees,” said the board in a prepared statement. Whoever is picked for the role will be the university’s 8th president in 118 years.