President Gregory Haile Resigns as Broward College President

Attorney Gregory Haile, who has served as the 7th President of Boward College in Florida since 2018 has abruptly resigned, giving the Board a required 120 day notice. Broward College is the 4th largest community college in the country and it has been recognized as one of the top ten community colleges and serves approximately 55,000 students. The Board has asked President Haile to reconsider but it is not clear whether he will. Haile, a well liked and well respected President, resigned following the appointment of three new board members in the last six months by Governor DeSantis. In his resignation letter Haile noted that the entire Board is relatively new with no member having served a full term and that although he has not been asked to step down, he states his belief that it is time for a transition.

As reported in the media, with higher education leadership in Florida becoming more political, it is unclear whether this has motivated President Haile to leave at this time.

Prior to being appointed President, Haile served as the General Counsel and Vice President of Public Policy and Government Affairs at Broward from 2011 to 2018. He was previously in private practice as a corporate litigator with several national law firms.

Haile earned his JD from Columbia University School of Law.

5 NYC Lawyer Presidents Gather to Discuss Unique Skill Sets Lawyers Bring to the Higher Ed C-Suite

On Wednesday, September 13, 2023, the New York Fellows of the American Bar Foundation held a program featuring a panel of lawyer presidents who are leading New York City’s top institutions. Participants were: Laura Rosenbury, the new President of Barnard College; Karol Mason, President of John Jay School of Criminal Justice; Frank Wu, President of Queens College; Michelle Anderson, President of Brooklyn College; and John Sexton, President Emeritus of NYU. Patricia Salkin served as moderator of the program, providing background information from May it Please the Campus: Lawyers Leading Higher Education.

In addition to Presidents Rosenbury, Mason, Wu and Anderson, other lawyers leading NYC institutions today include: Laura Sparks at Cooper Union, Tatiana Tetlow at Fordham, and Linda Mills at NYU.

The program recording can be accessed here: https://vimeo.com/864443744/5d3ec63042?share=copy

Chris V. Rey, J.D. Appointed President of Barber-Scotia College

Attorney Chris V. Rey has been appointed President of Barber-Scotia College in Alabama effective July 17, 2023. Barber-Scotia is one of the oldest HBCUs.

Rey served three terms as the Mayor of Spring Lake, North Carolina, having been the youngest person elected to that position. In 2016 he ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate. After his discharge from the Army, he worked as an intern in the office of Rep. John Lewis, a leader of the Civil Rights movement, and he attended law school.

He retired from the military in 2022, having served in both the U.S. Army and the National Guard in the computer technology field where he became Signal Corps officer. He was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan where he led soldiers. Upon retirement he started a consulting company to provide strategic direction for clients.

No stranger to higher education, Rey serves on the Board of Governors for Charisma University, Board of Visitors for Fayetteville State University, and the Board of Directors for William & Mary University Alumni Association. He has also taught law courses as an adjunct professor for more than a decade. Rey is also the founder of the HBCU Internship Foundation, Inc.

Rey earned his JD from William & Mary College of Law