CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky. — Thomas More College is losing its president.
David A. Armstrong has resigned effective July 31 and will become president of St. Thomas University in Miami, Florida, according to a news release from Thomas More.
In his five years as president, Armstrong advanced the Thomas More mission to educate leaders in the Catholic intellectual tradition, the release said.
“I am grateful to President Armstrong for all he has done to enhance our Thomas More College in his short time as president,” said the chancellor, Bishop Roger Foys. “His impact on Thomas More College will be felt for years to come. I wish him well as he moves on to St. Thomas University in Miami.”
Thank you for everything @TMC_PREZ! Best of luck to on your new journey. Thomas More is better for having you for the past 5 years! pic.twitter.com/X6kzvrtDGh
— brandon lorentz (@branlor17) May 24, 2018
Armstrong’s primary accomplishments have been on student achievement and promoting Catholic identity, the release said. In 2014, Armstrong helped secure the largest donor gift in the history of the college for the creation of the TMC Student Success Center. The Center has since established the Institute for Learning Differences, Institute for Career and Graduate Planning and the Zembrodt Institute for Academic Excellence.
Armstrong established the Bishop Foys Scholarship for Campus Ministry, which is awarded to Catholic students who participate in the development and growth of the college’s campus ministry. Additionally, the Institute for Religious Liberty was established in 2015 and has hosted an annual symposium as well as an Interfaith Dialogue panel.
“We are excited for all the great things that have been accomplished during Dave’s time of leadership at the College,” said Marc Neltner, chair of the college board of trustees. “We are grateful for his service and look forward to who the next person might be to carry on the tradition of transformative leadership at Thomas More College.”
Under Armstrong’s leadership, Thomas More has ranked No. 1 for Return on Investment in Kentucky (2015, ’16, ‘17) and in Greater Cincinnati (2015, ‘16) by Payscale.com. He organized the Catholic Business Professionals Network and established the Institute for Higher Education Compliance to assist colleges in navigating the complexities of compliance, policy and governance, according to the release.
“My wife, Leslie, and I loved our time at Thomas More and we are excited to begin a new chapter at St. Thomas University in Miami,” said Armstrong. “We are products of a small, Catholic liberal arts college and believe in the transformative experience this type of college provides. Bishop Foys, Marc Neltner, trustees, faculty, staff and especially the students at TMC gave us more than we ever gave them. We are eternally grateful.”
Foys and the board will meet to discuss the appointment of an interim president and a search committee, the release said.
