Hired
Donald W. Comer – Lane College (Tenn.)
Lane College, a private HBCU in Tennessee, removed the interim tag from Donald Comer and formally appointed him as the institution’s 11th president.
The board bypassed a traditional college search, citing its confidence in Comer’s progress advancing experiential learning, enrollment management and finances since taking over in July 2024.
Comer is a former vice president at FedEx, where he spent over three decades in product development, marketing and research, according to his LinkedIn resume.
College leadership is not a new venture for Comer. He joined the boards of two HBCUs in 2019: Lemoyne-Owen College in Tennessee and Stillman College in Alabama. In 2023, he earned his Ph.D. in urban higher education from Jackson State University.
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“Over the past two years, Dr. Comer has led with clarity, purpose, and a deep understanding of Lane College’s mission,” said Bishop Marvin Frank Thomas, Sr., board chair at Lane College. “The Board has had the opportunity to observe his leadership in real time, and this appointment reflects our full confidence in his ability to lead Lane into its next chapter.”
Ken Knelly – Clinton Community College (N.Y.)
The State University of New York Board of Trustees appointed Ken Knelly as the 10th president of Clinton Community College after serving as administrator in charge and acting president during one of the institution’s most significant transitions.
Over the past two years, Knelly helped oversee Clinton’s campus relocation to SUNY Plattsburgh’s campus, a move viewed as critical to the community college’s future. University officials have credited him with boosting enrollment and developing a workforce development hub since the transition.
Knelly began his higher education career in 2014 serving as marketing and communications leader for SUNY Plattsburgh. He was previously a print journalist, reporter and editor.
Stepping down
Christina H. Paxson – Brown University (R.I.)
Christina H. Paxson announced that the 2026-27 academic year will be her last as Brown University’s president.
Brown has undergone significant transformation during Paxson’s 15-year tenure.
In 2021, the university significantly expanded financial aid, offering free tuition for students whose families make less than $125,000 and covering the full cost of attendance for those whose families make less than $60,000.
Under Paxson’s leadership, Brown completed a record-setting fundraising campaign that generated $4.4 billion from more than 76,800 donors, fueling investments across academics, research and student support. The university also invested more than $2 billion in campus facilities and grew annual sponsored research spending to $249 million.
The closing years of Paxson’s presidency have been defined as much by crisis management as institutional growth, beginning with the COVID-19 pandemic and a series of high-profile controversies that drew national scrutiny.
Originally slated to step down in June, Paxson extended her tenure last year after the federal government froze over $500 million in Brown research funding amid investigations tied to campus antisemitism, admissions practices and transgender-student policies. The university ultimately reached an agreement that restored the funding.
Paxson also negotiated an end to a pro-Palestinian encampment related to demonstrations over the Israel-Hamas war in spring 2024. She also led the university’s response to a campus shooting that killed two students last fall.
“This is the right decision for me and my family,” Paxson wrote in a public letter announcing her departure. “And I firmly believe that it is the best path for Brown.”
Mike Rakes – Evangel University (Mo.)
Mike Rakes stepped down as president of Evangel University on July 30, after five years leading the Springfield-based Christian institution.
During Rakes’ tenure, Evangel’s student population grew by nearly 30%, thanks to five consecutive years of enrollment growth, AG News reports.
For this story, University Business used artificial intelligence to support drafting, with all content reviewed and verified by the author.
