Derek Halvorson
Dr. Derek Halvorson announced he would conclude his tenure as president of Covenant College on June 30, to become the founding director of the College’s new Brock-Barnes Center for Leadership on July 1.
“After a season of prayerful discernment with family and trusted friends, I informed the Board of Trustees I will complete my presidential service to Covenant College on June 30, 2023,” said Dr. Halvorson. “The Board of Trustees has offered me the opportunity to serve as the founding director of Covenant’s new Brock-Barnes Center for Leadership, and I am honored to accept this role.”
On Jan. 25, the board of trustees unanimously approved a plan to appoint Dr. Halvorson as the first Director of the Brock-Barnes Center for Leadership which enables the Center to start raising funds now and launch this summer.
“Dr. Halvorson’s credentials as a scholar, president, leader, fundraiser, and a faithful servant of the Lord Jesus Christ make him the ideal candidate to be the first Director of the Brock-Barnes Center for Leadership,” Craig Wood, chair of the Covenant College Board of Trustees. “Dr. Halvorson has built a strong and capable Cabinet of vice presidents who will provide continuity and stability throughout the presidential transition.”
Mr. Wood added, “the early announcement by Dr. Halvorson affords everyone the opportunity for a smooth and well-managed transition which shows why he is the right person to train generations of Christians to be selfless leaders.”
The board of trustees will immediately launch a national search for the next president of Covenant College in collaboration with students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
Dr. Halvorson ’93 has served Covenant College as president for eleven years, making him the third-longest serving president in the college’s 68-year history.
“The idea of the Brock-Barnes Center for Leadership has been germinating within the college leadership for more than a year as part of the strategic planning update reviewed by the Board in October 2022,” said Wood.
The goal of the Center is to inspire and equip Covenant students to take up and excel in selfless, Christ-like leadership exemplified by the remarkable men for whom the Center is named. Frank Brock (the College’s fourth president) and Marion Barnes (the College’s second president) were beloved leaders who had important leadership roles in the church and in the Chattanooga community.