Eckerd College president James Annarelli plans to retire after decades of service to the community in various roles.
According to a release, Annarelli will step down on June 30, 2027. He's been serving the college for 36 years — beginning as an academic coordinator and faculty member in 1990. His roles kept evolving, including being Eckerd's vice president for student life and dean of students for 20 years. And by 2022, he became interim president. A year later, he was Eckerd's sixth president.
His retirement announcement gives the college a year to find his successor. The Board of Trustees is contracted with the search firm Issacson, Miller. It also appointed Board of Trustees Vice Chair Susan Slaugenhaupt as the search committee chair.
"In this next phase of my life, I’m looking forward to spending more time with my wife, Anna, and children, and enjoying the relationships I’ve built over my tenure," Annarelli said in a prepared statement. "I am confident that now is the right time for Eckerd to find its next president who will build on the stable foundation of an excellent academic program shepherded by innovative faculty, and a one-of-a-kind campus life program championed by a thoughtful staff in partnership with our outstanding and civic-minded student body."
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Annarelli, 70, is a first-generation college graduate. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in theology and environmental studies and a Master of Arts degree in theology from St. John's University in New York. He also achieved a Master of Philosophy degree and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in religion and society from Drew University. He completed the Institute for Educational Management program of the Graduate School of Education at Harvard University and is the author of "Academic Freedom and Catholic Higher Education" (1987).
During his time as president, the college rebounded from back-to-back hurricanes that closed the campus for a month. The college was able to complete a new beach volleyball complex, beachside pavilion and a new dining center. Also, alumni, trustees and friends of the college committed to "transformational support." For example, a $4 million gift by Jim and Judy Moore to support and name the Johnston-Ford Scholars Program and an annual award to recognize academic contributions made by a faculty member each year.
Susan Russ Walker, Eckerd College trustee and vice chair of the search committee, praised Annarelli's relationship with alumni.
"Because he served as the dean of students for many of them, (he) has been a boon for fundraising and advancing the mission of the college," Walker said in the release.
Eckerd College Board Chair Ian Johnson '89 expressed how the college is deeply grateful for Annarelli.
“President Annarelli has guided the college with a sincere, student-centered approach, and it is now our charge to identify a leader who can navigate today’s higher education landscape while preserving the close, values-driven community Jim has so thoughtfully cultivated,” Johnson said in the release.
