NGU welcomes new president-elect during press conference Thursday
Megan Conley, Editor-in-Chief
Photo courtesy of Alex Miller
North Greenville University announced today that Gene Fant has been elected the eighth president in the university’s 125-year history.
The announcement was made during a press conference held in the Hayes Welcome Center at the university.
President-elect Fant with members of the presidential search committee.
Photo courtesy of Alex Miller
The university sought the help of a hiring firm out of Atlanta, Ga., Carter Baldwin, during the search. The firm was aided by a committee of 10 members, which was comprised of several board members, faculty representative Professor Paul Thompson, staff representative Jody Jennings and student representative Emily Phillips.
Interim President Randall Pannell began the press conference by welcoming the crowd, describing the announcement as historic.
The mic was then turned over to Chairman of the Board of Trustees Mike Tyler. Tyler recognized the presidential search team, which had been searching to fill the position since March 2015.
Tyler went on to discuss a history of the university and how this appointment of a new president differs from the last.
“Every president this school has had has been ordained by God. In 1991, it was about survival. Today, it’s about surge,” said Tyler, before he introduced the president-elect.
Fant stated that throughout his career, he has continuously encountered individuals who have ties to NGU, ranging from alumni to previous Centrifuge campers, and he then began sharing details about himself.
“One of the things I tell people all the time is that I’m a very optimistic person and one of the reasons I’m optimistic is because of the faith I have in Christ,” said Fant.
He also shared his vision for the future of the university in a time where higher education seems to be at risk.
“Here as an institution, we are going to be longing, looking and finding ways, not just to recover the great Christian intellectual tradition,” said Fant, “but to extend that Christian intellectual tradition and to show people how you do not have to have a gap in-between your beliefs and a gap in your excellence to be a Christian leader.”
Victoria McNorrill, senior Print Media major, introduces herself to the president-elect.
Photo courtesy of Alex Miller
The president-elect has a message for NGU students: please laugh.
“This is the thing I say to students all the time: it’s okay to laugh when I speak,” said Fant. “Plus, I’m a dad, so I tell a lot of dad jokes.”
He continued to say that he has ideas for academic programs that could be added to the university and that he wants to get to know the students during his time at the NGU.
“We want to connect building up programs with building up people,” said Fant. “I want students to know that I have a lot of things I want to do to help them explore the ideas that they haven’t even known they haven’t even known.”
Though he may have big plans, the president-elect understands the importance of the traditions of NGU.
“It is my goal while I am here to continue the tradition of this university in producing transformation leaders for church and society, people who make a day-to-day difference in their communities,” said Fant.
Fant will leave his position of provost and chief academic officer of Palm Beach Atlantic University and will officially take the role of president on June 1, 2017. He has also held faculty positions at William-Carey University, Mississippi College and Union University.
The search for a new president began when Jimmy Epting, president of NGU for 24 years, announced his retirement in early 2015. Then- Associate Vice President of Academics Randall Pannell was named interim president in March of the same year.
There were a total of 61 applicants for the position of president of NGU, and the firm has never had a president leave their position.
Fant also introduced his wife of 28 years, Lisa, and his two children Ethan and Emily to the crowd.
