Dr. Claude Lilly named 17th president of Presbyterian College

CLINTON, S.C., July 3, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Presbyterian College Board of Trustees has unanimously elected Dr. Claude C. Lilly as the college's next president. 

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120703/DC34930)

Lilly, currently serving as dean of the College of Business and Behavioral Science at Clemson University, will succeed Dr. John V. Griffith, Presbyterian College's president since 1998.

"Dr. Lilly has an impressive record of leadership in both the academic and private sectors and truly embodies the PC motto of 'Dum Vivimus Servimus – While We Live, We Serve,'" said William B. Shearer, Jr., chairman of the Presbyterian College Board of Trustees.  "With a compelling vision for academic program development and community and financial growth, he will be a dynamic, creative, and decisive leader committed to a strong future for Presbyterian College."

Lilly will serve as the 17th president of PC, a Carnegie One Liberal Arts College with a new graduate School of Pharmacy. 

"I am honored by the opportunity to serve as the new president of Presbyterian College and look forward to building on the outstanding foundation laid by faculty members, trustees, staff, students, and alumni under the leadership of President Griffith," Lilly said.   "My wife, Fran, and I are eager to become a part of the Clinton community and a PC environment that inspires learning."

PC's excellence in academics and commitment to service has solidified the college's reputation as one of the leading liberal arts colleges in the Southeast. 

Lilly has had a broad and definitive career in higher education and private industry. His 39 years of administrative and teaching experience include posts at Texas Tech University, the University of Southern California, Florida State University, and as dean of the Belk College of Business Administration at the University of North Carolina from 1998 through 2007.

"In my opinion, Claude Lilly has the ideal background to be a successful leader at Presbyterian College," said Dr. James Woodward, chancellor emeritus at UNC-Charlotte. "He and Fran will no doubt be welcomed warmly and become a source of pride for all who care about PC."

Since 2007, he has served as dean of the College of Business and Behavioral Science at Clemson University. There he directed the growth of the college, accomplishing several critical tasks, including relocating the MBA, the MBA in Entrepreneurship, the MACC, and the MS programs to downtown Greenville. Under his leadership, the reputation of excellence for Clemson's program has continued to grow both regionally and nationally.

"It has been a privilege to work with the outstanding leadership, particularly President Barker and Provost Helms, at Clemson University, and I will cherish many fond memories of my time there," said Lilly.

A former Georgia Assistant Deputy Insurance Commissioner, he has served as the chairman of the Board of the Charlotte division of the Richmond Federal Reserve Bank, president of the Southern Risk and Insurance Association, and as a corporate director on numerous boards, including TIAA-CREF FSB. TIAA-CREF is one of the nation's largest financial services corporation serving non-profit organizations in the academic, medical, cultural, governmental, and research fields.

In addition to his commitment to excellence in education and ethics in business, Dr. Lilly is a passionate believer and participant in community service. He has served on numerous boards, including Habitat for Humanity, the Urban League, Men for Change (supporting the Charlotte Shelter for Battered Women), the Metrolina Health Initiative, and the Ruth and Billy Graham Children's Health Center. During his tenure in the Upstate, he has served as a board member for Greenville's Urban League, on the board of Artisphere, and as chairman of the 2012 American Heart Association Ball.

The Lillys are members of the Fort Hill Presbyterian Church; Dr. Lilly most recently completed a four-year appointment to the PC(USA) Board of Pensions. 

A native of Georgia, Lilly earned his doctorate from Georgia State University in risk management with a minor in international finance.  He received both his master's degree and his undergraduate degree from Georgia State University, and has studied at the Institute for Management and Leadership in Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Dr. Lilly's wife, Fran, holds a bachelor and a master's degree from Florida State University and has held key human resource positions including AVP of Human Resources for First South Bank in Florida and AVP of Human Resources at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, N.C. Fran is also actively involved in community service. She serves on the board of the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts at Clemson University. She has served on the grants committee for Greenville Women Giving and on the Visual Arts Center Gala committee at Clemson University. She also participates in Meals on Wheels and Clemson Community Care.

The Lillys have four children and seven grandchildren.

Dr. Lilly will assume his role of President on July 15. To learn more about PC's new president, visit our website at www.presby.edu/president.

SOURCE Presbyterian College