Bill Seymour, president of Cleveland State Community College, has announced he will retire next summer.
"Being President of Cleveland State is the best job of my career. I have never had more fun in a job, and I could not be prouder of the unprecedented accomplishments we have achieved together," Seymour said in a Wednesday news release.
Seymour became president of the college in 2014 and has worked in higher education roles for 43 years. Under his leadership, the school was recognized as College of the Year by the College System of Tennessee in 2019, while Seymour received the Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction from the Phi Theta Kappa honor society in February.
He said he decided this was a good time to retire as he is still in good health and he will be able to pave the way for new leaders to work on upcoming initiatives at the school. As for his legacy, he pointed to growth and expansions at Cleveland State under his leadership and improvements made to the college's reputation.
"When I first arrived, many people told me that they knew little about the college and what we did to serve the community. This is why we promoted our commitment to always put 'Community First,'" Seymour said.
Seymour's last day in office will likely be June 30, according to the release, and a search for the next president will take place during the spring semester.
-Compiled by Anika Chaturvedi
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