Mount St. Joseph President H. James Williams isn't wasting time in his new role. Williams launched "Transformation 2025" Friday during his formal inauguration.
The plan includes looking for unmet needs in the university and business communities, and updating the school's building stock.
"Transformation 2025 is our attempt to begin to develop a vision for how we move ourselves forward toward immortality," says Williams.
"Growth and development often happens in leaps and spurts," says Williams. "Now is the time for the Mount to take another big leap forward. However, to do so we must, as we have in the past, let go of fears and attachments to the ways we've always done things. We have to act boldly, definitively, and of course, collectively."
Williams says the plan will include discussions with faculty, students, the community, and the business community about how the Mount can best serve and prepare students for the future.
Williams is former president of Fisk University and served as dean of several business schools, including at Grand Valley State University, North Carolina Central University and Delaware State University.
He holds several degrees, including a Ph.D. in accounting (University of Georgia), an MBA in accounting (University of Wisconsin), and two law degrees (Georgetown University Law Center). He is a certified public accountant and certified management accountant.
Williams took over in March. He replaces President Tony Aretz who announced his resignation in March 2015. Joel Thierstein was named interim president in June 2015.
Williams is the Mount's seventh leader.
