Sweet Briar College, the liberal arts educational institution for women in Virginia, has announced that it has begun a search for a new president. Phil Stone, who has led the college for the past year after alumnae raised money to prevent its planned closure, has announced that he will retire at the end of the 2016-17 academic year.
Teresa Pike Tomlinson, chair of the Sweet Briar College board of trustees, mayor of Columbus, Georgia, and a 1987 graduate of the college, stated that “we could not have had a better leader to cut this path for us and set the stage for our future success. The fact that Phil Stone committed two years of his otherwise full life and professional practice to come be a part of Sweet Briar history has been a godsend. We are now thankful to have his expertise as we transition to our next chapter and, fortunately, we have over a year’s time in which to do it.”