The Knox College Board of Trustees has chosen the first Black president in the school's nearly 185 year history. Dr. Andy McGadney will begin work in Galesburg on July 1, 2021.
“I’m thrilled to be named the 20th president of Knox College,” McGadney said. “I look forward to being involved within the community and I look forward to hearing from alumni, parents, friends, and community members as time goes on.”
He will replace Dr. Teresa Amott, who will retire in June, 2021 after ten years in charge. She was the school’s first female president.
McGadney said the opportunity to be Knox College president takes on greater personal significance because of Knox’s history, which includes involvement in the abolition movement during the college’s early years.
“The moment is not lost on me. That was one of the wonderful things about Knox College that was intriguing and interesting. It has a tremendous history and one that I think provides an incredible foundation for future success and for developing great minds to come out of there,” he said.
McGadney also said he found the job in Galesburg attractive because he is “…a passionate believer in the value proposition of a small liberal arts college.” And he said he felt that same energy from those he met during the interview process.
“As I started to dive deeper into the interview process and started to engage more deeply with the members of the Knox community and the Galesburg community, the dedication of the place was absolutely remarkable,” he said.
“Sometimes people use the word ‘transformative’ loosely but I was seeing firsthand the transformative experiences that were happening on the campus and hearing it from the faculty and the students.”
McGadney said the most important thing he can do right off the bat is to take the time to “truly listen and listen deeply” to all members of the community.
Knox Trustees said they unanimously approved the appointment on Saturday, February 13. The college announced the news two days later.
The private liberal arts college said terms of McGadney’s contract are confidential.
McGadney is currently Vice President and Dean of Student Advancement at Colby College, a liberal arts college in Maine. He previously served as Colby’s Vice President and Secretary.
Before coming to Colby, he served as Vice President for University Advancement at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts.
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