Townsley Selected as Peace College's 10th President

RALEIGH, N.C., April 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Peace College Board of Trustees has announced that Debra Townsley, Ph.D. has been named president of Peace College. Townsley will succeed Laura Carpenter Bingham who took office in 1998 and announced in September her plans to retire June 30.

(Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100423/DC92303 )

Townsley, who will become the 10th president of the 153 year-old Raleigh women's college, is currently President of Nichols College in Dudley, Massachusetts.

"Peace College is an impressive institution with a strong heritage in fostering the academic, professional and personal success of women," said Townsley. "I am delighted to be able to offer my experience in and commitment to higher education to help shape the future of Peace College and the students it serves."

A native of Florida, Townsley holds a bachelor of science in business administration with concentrations in marketing and management from American University, a master of business administration (MBA) from George Washington University, a master of arts in psychology and a Ph.D. in organizational psychology from the University of Vermont.

"The Presidential Search Committee looked at a wide range of qualified candidates for the Peace College presidency, and Debra Townsley emerged early in the process as a leading contender," said Trustee Fred Kelly, chair of the search committee. "After meeting with her several times here in Raleigh, it was evident that she not only met, but exceeded, all the criteria we established for the College's next leader. We could not be more pleased to welcome her to Peace."

Townsley was named president of Nichols College in 1998 after serving as dean of academic affairs for one year. Prior to joining Nichols, Townsley worked at a number of colleges and universities, including, Saint Michaels College in Vermont, Northern Virginia Community College, and at Marymount University of Virginia – a women's college at the time.

Early in her career she was a senior consultant and project manager at Booz, Allen & Hamilton, Inc. and a marketing support representative for IBM.

A colleague of Townsley's, John Bassett, president of Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts (former head of the English Department at NCSU), says she is "a liberal arts woman with an eye on careers for students."

At Nichols, Townsley undertook strategic planning initiatives to reconfirm the College's mission and branded the College, resulting in Nichols becoming the area's first-choice college for students. Through these initiatives, Nichols has grown from 620 full-time students to 1,150. The College's vision to grow the undergraduate day program to capacity while focusing resources on building a flexible and distinctive evening, undergraduate and graduate online platform has led to many enhancements. These include the addition of new specializations, an improved academic profile of the students, the building of a campus infrastructure with new facilities and advanced technology, and sustained financial stability to move the College forward.

"Dr. Townsley brings a wealth of experience and knowledge of the competitive higher education landscape," said Peace President Laura Bingham. "It pleases me that a sitting president sees the opportunities at Peace and can capture the next 'upside' in positioning the College for future achievements. She is fortunate to have a talented and dedicated campus of professors, administrators and students with which to work and trustee leaders committed to her success."

"Laura Bingham's extraordinary leadership as president has put Peace College at a level where we attracted a candidate of Debra's caliber," said Trustee Chair Todd Robinson.

Trustee Beth Cherry of Wilmington, who served as vice chair of the search committee said, "As an alumna, I was immediately intrigued by Debra's personal approach, her enthusiasm, and her quick mind. Our dedicated and effective alumna President, Laura Carpenter Bingham (Class of 1977), has positioned Peace College to take its next giant step forward in the world of higher education and I firmly believe that our new President, Debra Townsley, has the experience, passion and energy to make my alma mater soar."

Townsley has held a number of professional positions on the state and national level including serving on the board of directors of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. She has numerous articles published in professional journals and national magazines.

Townsley will assume the presidency at Peace in August.

Peace College is a four-year baccalaureate arts and sciences college that offers a challenging program of study that provides women strong intellectual and personal foundations upon which to build successful and meaningful professional and academic careers. Peace's educational program consistently earns the college rankings in the top 10 percent in several categories of the National Survey of Student Engagement.

SOURCE Peace College