'It has been a great ride': Why Concordia University Texas is searching for new president
Concordia University Texas is preparing to kick off a national search for a new leader after Donald Christian, who has worked for the small private institution for nearly 20 years and has served as its president and CEO for the last decade, recently announced that he'll retire in 15 months.
Christian will step down by June 2025. During his time leading Concordia, a Lutheran university in North Austin, he helped launch two strategic plans, improved facilities and buildings, and saw the university become a Hispanic Serving Institution — a school whose student population is at least 25% Hispanic.
"I'm feeling really good," Christian told the American-Statesman. "We have done some big things over these 11 years and it's now time to pass the baton."
Christopher Bannwolf, chair of the university's board of regents, said the school's search for a new president will start this month and last about six months. He said Christian's leadership has created a positive climate on campus, leaving a legacy of making "the university experience fruitful for those who go through it."
Christian said he hopes the next leader of Concordia, which will turn 100 years old in 2026, is innovative and collaborative. Bannwolf hopes the next president is positive and a visionary.
"It's a tough business to be in, universities, because there's so much competition," Bannwolf said. "It's not an easy road."
'It has been a great ride'
The first strategic plan under Christian's leadership, "A Strong Foundation," was focused on university operations and community support, and the second has focused on student success, impact on Central Texas and invigorating the Lutheran identity of the institution.
Under his leadership, Concordia also expanded its academic offerings, tripled its nursing student enrollment, doubled the student housing capacity on campus, and increased online degree offerings.
"They're very intentional about what primary objectives ought to be," Bannwolf said about the leadership, "and then actually doing it."
Last fall, Concordia Texas launched "The Right Call Initiative," cutting tuition prices by almost 40%. Christian said the campus' community has become more diverse as well, really representing Central Texas.
"The thing I am most proud of is how we've leaned into our identity as a faith-based institution that serves all of our students" Christian said, adding that he's proud of the university's connection and service to the community and the ways it has continued to evolve.
In his retirement, Christian plans to spend more time with his wife, Deb, in Maine, read the stack of books on his desk, and let his faith guide him to his next step.
"It's the hardest work I've ever done and the most fun I've ever had," Christian said in reflecting on the job. "It has been a great ride."
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Concordia University Texas leader announces retirement; search to come
