Christian Brothers University is poised to celebrate its 150th year educating students with its three-tier vision of Faith, Service, and Community. Over the course of our nearly century and a half of service, we have been led by many outstanding Presidents, most recently, by Jack Shannon. As of November 5, Shannon has chosen to seek opportunities elsewhere, and we wish him the best. Under his leadership, we faced one of the most difficult times the nation has seen, with the COVID-19 pandemic. We are thankful that Jack led us through this difficult time and has allowed us to be ready to handle the next 150 years and remain true to our core convictions.
As always, our belief in God permeates every facet of the University’s life. We will continue to reach out to serve one another and those beyond our campus to build better communities and a better society. To ensure we continue in our role, we are pleased to announce that David Archer, Associate Professor of Management, and the Director of CBU’s Healthcare MBA Program, will serve as interim president. Not only does Professor Archer have experience as a Chief Executive Officer serving at Saint Francis Healthcare, he is also a member of the CBU family. Professor Archer holds a Master of Arts in Theology, Master of Public Health, and a Master of Business Administration. He also dedicates time and invests in our communities as a board member of Guiding Star Memphis, as well as other boards like the Tennessee Hospital Association and the Greater Memphis Chamber. He has been awarded the Meritorious Service Award from the Tennessee Hospital Association and the Humanitarian Award from the National Conference for Community and Justice.
As Interim President, Professor Archer will bring valuable leadership skills and determination to provide the best education to our students. His focus will be on the growth of CBU and caring for our students, faculty, and staff.
Professor Archer states “I am honored to serve CBU as Interim President. During this transition, I will keep our core Lasallian principles and mission at the forefront of everything we do. It will be my top priority to ensure our students receive an education that will provide the foundation for a successful and flourishing life of service. I look forward to continuing serving CBU and our communities.”
Over the next several months, CBU will begin its search for its next President. Our Board is committed to finding the right person to lead us into our next chapter. We look forward to this journey and as always thank you for your commitment to CBU.
Chairman Bo Allen shared “We are fortunate to have David, and we are blessed to have someone with his background and familiarity with our mission and campus. I look forward to working with him, and I know we will not miss a beat during this transition. As Lasallians, we will continue to emphasize academic excellence, faith formation, inclusion, respect for the individual, service, and social justice. I look forward to the bright future of CBU.”