Lisa Sutherland has been selected to serve as interim president of Jacksonville University in Florida. She will begin her interim appointment on July 1, 2026.
According to the Department of Education’s most recent data, Jacksonville University enrolls over 2,600 undergraduates, 60 percent of whom are women. The university also has a graduate population of nearly 1,300 students.
Dr. Sutherland joined the Jacksonville University administration in 2023. Currently, she serves as executive director of the Cost Honors College and interim dean of the Davis College of Business and Technology. Additionally, she co-chairs the university’s 2030 Strategic Plan.
Before her current role, Dr. Sutherland gained over two decades of experience in both higher education and the corporate sector. She previously taught at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. As founder of the consulting firm Sutherland Group, LLC., Dr. Sutherland has provided strategic leadership to major brands such as Walmart Inc., Yum! Brands, Papa John’s, Kraft-Heinz, Dannon, and Chobani. At Walmart, she was the chief nutrition advisor, working in collaboration with Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” campaign. She has also served as a senior executive at the Kellogg Company.
“I am deeply grateful for the trust the board has placed in me,” said Dr. Sutherland. “Jacksonville University is a remarkable institution and our strength lies in its students, faculty, and staff — all united by a shared drive to shape the future. Together, we’ll build on our strong foundation, advance our strategic goals, and ensure every student experiences the life-changing education that defines JU.”
Dr. Sutherland is a graduate of what is now Simmons University in Boston, where she majored in nutrition and food science. She earned her Ph.D. at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she also completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the university’s Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.