Connecticut College President Leo I. Higdon Jr. will retire at the end of next year, ending seven years at the helm of his New London alma mater, the school says.
Higdon, 66, took over as president in 2006, and recently presided over a $200 million capital campaign. His last day will be New Year’s Eve, 2013, the college said Monday.
The school also completed an $85 million campus-improvement program on his watch.
“The time is right for me and for this college,” Higdon told students, faculty and staff at a campus meeting Monday. “We will have completed our $200 million campaign and we will have accomplished goals that we outlined when I came to Connecticut College. It will be time for a new strategic plan and a new leader to continue to advance this great institution.”
Board of Trustees Chair Pamela Zilly praised Higdon’s leadership of the 1,900-pupil liberal-arts school.
“He is a wonderful president who has built strong relationships with faculty, students, staff and alumni, said Zilly, a 1975 graduate. “His vision for the future has been infectious and he will leave the college well-positioned for even more great things to come.”
Zilly will chair the presidential search committee.
