Greensboro College Names
Dr. Lawrence D. Czarda
As Its 18th President
Posted: March 9, 2010
Greensboro College Communications Office
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Greensboro College today named Dr. Lawrence D. Czarda as its 18th president, capping an eight-month, nationwide search. Dr. Czarda will take office April 26.
“Our search committee did a tremendous job of gathering and then narrowing a pool of highly qualified candidates down to three finalists,” said R. Carter Pate, chairman of the college’s Board of Trustees, which approved Czarda’s selection today upon the recommendation of a search committee.
“Dr. Czarda did a fine job of presenting himself and his qualifications to the search committee, the trustees and the college community,” added Pate, a Greensboro College alumnus. “He was truly an outstanding candidate.”
Czarda is currently vice president for administration at Virginia’s George Mason University, where he has worked since 1983. He was chosen from among three finalists, all of whom visited the campus in late February to meet with faculty, staff and students and to take questions at forums open to the entire college community.
“I think this position represents a unique fit of the college’s needs and my skill set,” Czarda said. “As I said at the forum, I saw all the ‘You Belong Here!’ banners hanging out front, and it sounds corny, but it’s true: I belong here. The potential to move forward at Greensboro College is an exceptional opportunity, and it is a distinct privilege to be chosen.”
Dean of Academic Services Martha Bunch, who represented college staff on the search committee, said, “He emerged from an extremely qualified candidate pool as a person who can lead us in distinguishing Greensboro College as one of the best liberal-arts colleges in the region.”
John Woell, chairman of the college’s Department of Religion and a faculty representative to the search committee, said, “Dr. Czarda’s depth of experience, high level of energy, passion for United Methodist higher education and enthusiasm for Greensboro College made him an outstanding candidate to be our next president. His keen sense of humor, excellent rapport with staff and faculty, and collaborative style of leadership merge with his professional skills to create an excellent fit with the college's current needs.”
“The selection process was difficult because there were so many excellent, well-prepared candidates,” said the Rev. David Melton, a trustee and member of the search committee. “What set Dr. Czarda apart was a wonderful combination of experience, passion, communication skills and faith. We at Greensboro College are incredibly fortunate to be led by a president of Larry Czarda’s caliber. He is not afraid of accepting the challenge of leading in the competitive environment private, liberal-arts institutions find themselves in, and we --the trustees -- are more than confident in his ability to do so.”
In addition to his administrative duties, Czarda has served on both the undergraduate and graduate faculties at George Mason for more than 20 years, with particular focus on finance issues in public administration and sports economics. He has served on doctoral-dissertation committees and as a faculty adviser to undergraduates and master’s candidates. He will hold the rank of professor of public administration in the college’s Department of Political Science and Legal Administration; his base salary will be $198,000 annually.
Prior to his current position, Czarda served at George Mason in capacities including vice president for regional campuses, vice president for operations and chief of staff. He also has held senior finance positions for local governments in Fauquier and Prince William counties in Virginia. His c.v. is online here.
In the community, he has chaired the Fauquier Health System Board of Trustees and the boards of its subsidiary corporations, served on the board of the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy and The Highland School, and chaired the Fauquier County School Board. He also has held leadership positions in the United Methodist Church, youth athletic organizations and the Boy Scouts.
Czarda holds a B.A. in history and political science from Bridgewater College, a master’s in public administration from American University, and a Ph.D. in public policy from George Mason.
Czarda is married to Carolyn Dulaney Chappell, a senior administrator at Randolph-Macon Academy and adjunct faculty member at Lord Fairfax Community College. Their blended family includes seven children and six grandchildren. His personal interests include athletics, art, drumming, reading, travel and farm work.
Czarda succeeds Craven E. Williams, who retired in July. Since September, C. Brent DeVore, president emeritus of Otterbein College in Ohio, has served as Greensboro College’s interim president. Under DeVore, the college has begun plans to double traditional, full-time undergraduate enrollment during the next five years.
The college was assisted by Washington, D.C.-based Academic Search Inc. in hiring both DeVore and Czarda.
Greensboro College is primarily an undergraduate college, also offering four master’s degrees. Coeducational and independent, the institution is located near downtown Greensboro. It was founded in 1838 and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church.
The college enrolls about 1,260 students from about 30 states, the District of Columbia and 21 nations. The school features a strong liberal-arts program and a 16-sport athletic program.
