Koerwer follows Dr. Mitchell Zais, who has served as Newberry’s president since 2000.
Dr. John H. Hudgens II has served as acting president since February, while Zais has been on a planned leave of absence.
The move begins a new era for the college, which has a long tradition of providing educational opportunities for diverse populations of students from around the state and the nation, say school representatives.
In Koerwer, the board selected an entrepreneurial leader who has closely studied the interconnections of professional, business and liberal arts education, the college says, and has developed innovative academic programs and strategic alliances across university campuses and with universities around the world.
Koerwer is currently at the University of South Carolina’s Moore School of Business as deputy dean and clinical professor of management, and brings a broad range of educational perspectives to the Newberry presidency, say college representatives.
Koerwer was educated at a leading liberal arts institution, Muhlenberg College, and went on to receive his master’s degree from a leading science and engineering university, Lehigh University.
He was awarded his doctorate in education from the internationally recognized University of Pennsylvania.
Koerwer is also an alumnus of the Advanced Executive Program at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
In addition to the Moore School, he has served as an executive at two leading schools of management: the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Robert Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland.
“Scott Koerwer brings to Newberry a uniqueness of leadership,” said Billy Walker, chairman of the Board of Trustees at Newberry. “He has accomplished great things at colleges and universities of eminence. He will be a young dynamic and enterprising leader. The excitement he brings to campus is going to transform Newberry and add to the 154-year legacy of the college.”
“This is an extraordinary opportunity for me to join the Newberry College community,” said Koerwer in accepting the board’s selection. “We have a solid foundation to build upon. We have the strength of our people—the students, alumni, faculty and professional staff of Newberry College—and our values-based Lutheran tradition to create the future of liberal arts education.”
“I am pleased to follow the leadership of Mick Zais and John Hudgens,” Koerwer added. “The college owes both men a debt of gratitude for their commitment to moving Newberry forward into the 21st century.
“Building on the strength of President Zais’ tenure, Newberry College is poised to emerge as a liberal arts college of national prominence and distinction.”
During the course of his 20-year career in business and higher education, Koerwer has established a notable track record of collaboration and accomplishment at each institution he has served.
Most recently at the University of South Carolina’s Moore School of Business, he managed a budget in excess of $50 million, and led numerous redesign and development initiatives including the school’s first inclusive, comprehensive strategic planning process.
Continuing his record of establishing international partnerships, he forged an alliance with the University of Tikrit in Iraq, laying historic groundwork for building a new education system for the nation as it works to establish a new education and social infrastructure.
Koerwer co-launched three companies including a software company focused on knowledge management and back office operations for higher education clients and a boutique consulting and training firm.
As a husband and father, he enjoys spending time with his family—including wife, Christine, and two daughters, Rachel and Julia. “We are all looking forward to being part of the Newberry community,” he adds.
Zais requested a leave of absence in February as he set forth to seek statewide office, says Martha Windsor for Newberry’s media relations office.
In November, Zais announced his campaign for the Republican nomination for the state Superintendent of Education.
Newberry College formed a search committee and hired a firm to find Koerwer.
Zais’ contract ends this month.
n Holly Astwood
Editor
A wholesale electric rate increase and planned improvements to the city’s water supply lines are pushing utility rates up in the coming year, but property taxes should remain stable.
The city budget heads for its second and final vote tomorrow, and other than utility rates, holds few changes from the previous year for citizens.
The pass-through increase in power costs will boost electric rates 6 percent. To fund the parallel water supply line into the city from the treatment plan, city council voted to increase water rates by 5 percent.
If the Capital Projects Sales Tax referendum passes, the water rate climb is expected to stop there. The amount asked for in the referendum would pay the balance of the project. However, if the referendum fails, city leaders expect to then implement two more steps to the water rate rise, eventually approaching a 14-15 percent increase from current prices.
The general fund budget, basic operating money for the city with the utility department separated out, is actually dipping slightly from last year’s numbers. City employees will see a 2 percent cost of living raise across the board. However, the budget total is $7,879,624 — approximately $300,000 less than a year ago. City Manager Jeff Shacker says you can trace this amount to almost exactly what was budgeted for last year’s expenditure to obtain a new fire truck for the city. Shacker says they tried to remain neutral in the budget, sticking to a “bare bones” budget from last year.
The millage rate will probably dip, although what is collected in funds should be the same from last year, due to the expected implementation of reassessment. State law requires that millage values are then “rolled back” to keep municipalities from collecting a windfall of property tax money in reassessment years. The millage rate will be set in the late summer.
Tomorrow’s special called meeting will be at 6 p.m. at City Hall in the Council Chambers.
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