Averett President Announces Retirement, Announce Incoming President
Dear Friends of Averett,
As the semester comes to a close and campus transitions into winter break, Averett University is also undergoing a change heading into the new year. Today President Dr. Tiffany M. Franks announced her upcoming retirement in January, after holding the position for almost 17 years.
I want to thank Dr. Franks for her service to this University. Nearly 17 years ago, she walked onto this campus and changed Averett. She has been an ambassador of Averett in the community, a champion for our students and a tireless leader of the outstanding faculty and staff assembled at Averett. She and her husband, Joe, have poured their hearts and souls into Averett, its students and the entire community – and for that we are grateful.
At a meeting with faculty and staff, Dr. Franks remarked, “Serving alongside all of you has been the greatest honor of my professional life. The people of Averett have made the past 17 years the most fulfilling years of my life, both professionally and personally. Together we have achieved so much for our students, this incredible University, and our surrounding community, and I will always be deeply grateful for the dedication, passion and resilience you bring to Averett every day.”
At the same time that we look to Dr. Franks with gratitude for her service, Averett University’s Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the appointment of the Rev. Dr. David Joyce as the 15th president of the university. Dr. Joyce will be installed as President on January 6, 2025.
Dr. Joyce, known to former students as “Dr. J,” brings with him 27 years of experience as a college president – eight years as president of Union College in Kentucky, 10 years as president of Ripon College in Wisconsin, and most recently nine years as president of Brevard College in North Carolina.
In our search for the next president of Averett, the Board of Trustees knew that Averett needed a strong leader with a proven record of turning around a college or university that was facing headwinds. Dr. Joyce not only has that experience, but he also has a strong vision for our future and the character that personifies Averett.
I know that he is eager to get to campus and get to work building a stronger Averett University. A welcoming event will be planned in January for Dr. Joyce and his wife, Lynne, that we will share information about in the new year.
We hope you have a wonderful holiday season. We appreciate your continued support and look forward to working together in the future.
Sincerely,
Dan Carlton, ’90
Chair, Board of Trustees