Kentucky Wesleyan Names New President

Kentucky Wesleyan College Board Chair Mitch Settle announced Friday, April 29, 2011, the appointment of Craig Turner, Ph.D., as the thirty-third president of Kentucky Wesleyan College.  The vote of the Board of Trustees was unanimous.

“Dr. Turner brings to Kentucky Wesleyan a superb record of achievements and a deep commitment to private liberal arts education,” remarked Settle. “We look forward to his leadership as he takes our college to the next level. He will begin on the firm foundation laid by Dr. King with a stellar strategic plan.”

Turner has been president of Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina, since 2008. He served as president of Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas from 2001-2008. He was also executive vice president and chief operating officer, executive vice president and chief academic officer and vice president for academic affairs at Hardin-Simmons.

In accepting the appointment, Dr. Turner said, “Annette and I are thrilled and grateful for the opportunity to serve at Kentucky Wesleyan. We were very impressed with the students, staff and faculty and their pride in KWC. We can’t wait to get there.”

Turner was head of the Department of English and Professor of English at Mississippi College and Assistant and Associate Professor of English at Texas A & M. He continues to teach occasional English classes and shared, “My inspiration comes from student interactions inside and outside the classroom.”

Dr. Turner earned his bachelor of arts in English and History and his master of arts in English from Baylor University and his Ph.D. in British and American Literature from Tulane University.  He has published three books and a number of articles and entries in various publications.

The date of his arrival will be announced soon. Dr. Turner and his wife, Annette, have two grown children and three grandchildren.