Methodist University has named Provost and Executive Vice President Suzanne Blum Malley as its next president, the school announced Tuesday.
Blum Malley will become the university’s sixth president on July 1, 2027. She succeeds President Stanley Wearden, who announced earlier this year that he plans to retire after leading the institution since 2019.
The appointment was approved by Methodist University’s Board of Trustees on Friday following a board-led search process to identify Wearden’s successor.
“We are thrilled that Provost Blum Malley accepted our offer to succeed President Wearden,” Board of Trustees Chair Timothy Richardson said in a statement. “Over the next year, they will work closely to prepare a seamless changeover to her administration. This extended transition period creates an extra measure of stability for the University community.”
Malley, who joined Methodist in January 2020, brings more than 35 years of higher education experience and currently serves as the university’s chief academic officer. Before arriving at Methodist, she held faculty and administrative leadership roles at Columbia College Chicago.
According to the university, Blum Malley has helped oversee several major academic initiatives during her tenure, including the launch of 24 online programs, expanded transfer student opportunities, and development of the university’s new medical school. The Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine, which held a ribbon cutting on Thursday, welcomes its first class of students on July 20.
University officials said student retention has also improved under her leadership, with retention rates increasing by 10% among first-time, full-time, first-year students since 2020. Transfer student enrollment has also increased 46% during that same period, according to the university.
“Blum Malley fulfilled every priority area and beyond,” Jennifer Elam, presidential candidacy committee chair, said in the announcement. “Provost Blum Malley is a thoughtful, purpose-driven leader with a holistic approach that keeps student success at the forefront. Her results speak for themselves.”
Malley will also make history as the first woman appointed president in Methodist University’s nearly 70-year history.
“I believe that ethical institutions commit to serving their students, to meeting them where they are, and to making every effort to provide meaningful, whole-person educational and co-curricular experiences that prepare them to contribute to positive change in the world,” Malley said in the announcement. “I see that commitment at Methodist University, and I am honored to serve as its next president.”
As president, Malley said her priorities will focus on enrollment growth, academic excellence, long-term financial sustainability, and integrating the new medical school into the broader campus community.
The school will now undertake a national search for its next provost and executive vice president.
