Board Confirms Award-Winning Brand Architect, Industrial Designer as New President of Columbus College of Art & Design

COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Thomas White, an award-winning industrial designer and branding expert who has positioned organizations for growth in a variety of business sectors, including higher education, was named president of Columbus College of Art & Design today at the board of trustees' annual meeting.

White, 58, is a passionate advocate for the power of art and design to fuel economic growth and innovation. He succeeds Dennison W. Griffith in leading one of the nation's oldest and largest private colleges of art and design. Griffith, who announced in August that he would retire when his contract expired June 30, was president for 16 years.

"Tom's career accomplishments, combined with his passion for creativity and commerce, made him the ideal next president of CCAD," said Robert P. Restrepo Jr., chair of the CCAD board of trustees and president, chairman and CEO of State Auto Insurance Companies.

White, who has taught drawing and industrial design at California campuses during his business career, begins his tenure at CCAD immediately.

"This is a college with a rich legacy in an amazing city," White said. "We have unlimited potential to deliver value to a growing population of creative thinkers that seek a quality education. I'm here to build on the value of CCAD regionally and nationally. Collaboratively, we will lead the college into a new era of growth."

White sees the changing global business environment as a call to action for art and design educators.

"We've entered the 'Era of the Creatives.' The creative voice has emerged as the engine for innovation and growth," White said.

Prior to accepting the CCAD presidency, White was vice president of corporate development at Co-Optimum Connect+ in Sherman Oaks, Calif.

White earned his undergraduate degree in industrial design at California State University, Northridge, and an MBA at Pepperdine University.

About CCAD
Columbus College of Art & Design, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest private art and design colleges in the United States with 1,300 undergraduate and graduate students. CCAD offers bachelor's and master's degrees in Fine Arts. Undergraduate students choose from nine majors: photography, industrial design, advertising and graphic design, animation, illustration, fine arts, fashion design, interior design and cinematic arts. www.ccad.edu

Contact:
Robin Hepler
[email protected]
614.222.6163
614.565.6525 (cell)

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SOURCE Columbus College of Art & Design