President Downs to Resign

Downs will resign from the office effective Feb. 18, 2025

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Gardner-Webb University’s President, Dr. William M. Downs, has announced he will resign from the office effective Feb. 18, 2025. Dr. Downs, GWU’s president since 2019, has accepted a new position as president at Campbell University in Buies Creek, N.C., and will begin there in July. He wishes to devote his full energies to preparing to take on his new role.

“Dr. Downs’ bold leadership and dynamic energy will leave a lasting mark on Gardner-Webb” said the Rev. Dr. Lamont Littlejohn Jr., chair of the Gardner-Webb Board of Trustees. “We wish him every success as he begins this next chapter.”

The Board of Trustees will move with all deliberate speed to form a search committee that includes members of the Board as well as representatives from the University community. To help secure top-flight candidates for this all-important position, the University expects to retain an executive search firm to assist with the search process. Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.

About Gardner-Webb University

Gardner-Webb University is North Carolina’s recognized leader in private, Christian higher education. A Carnegie-Classified Doctoral/Professional University, GWU is home to nine colleges and schools, more than 80 undergraduate and graduate majors, and a world-class faculty. Located on a beautiful 225-acre campus in Boiling Springs, N.C., Gardner-Webb prepares graduates to impact their chosen professions, equips them with the skills to advance the frontiers of knowledge, and inspires them to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of others. Ignite your future at Gardner-Webb.edu.