NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Christopher Newport University officially has a new leader. The community gathered Monday morning for the inauguration of William G. Kelly, a retired U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral, as the university's 6th president.
Scores of people took over CNU's great lawn to officially welcome him.
Before this post, Kelly, who also goes by Bill, served as the 42nd superintendent of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, one of the nation’s five federal service academies.
As he takes the helm at CNU -- home of Captains –- his colleagues note he’s transforming from an admiral to a "Captain."
CNU’s Board of Visitors unanimously appointed Kelly president in February after a yearlong, nationwide search. At the time of his appointment, college administrators praised his leadership, character, and life of public service.
“We are all in," Kelly said. "We will be all in for our students and our community. This isn’t a brief port visit or a waypoint on the way to another. The service has moved me and my family 15 times, we don’t want to do it again, any time soon.”
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin welcomed the new president and celebrated Kelly’s record as an educator and military leader.
“This University’s next chapter is not written but what we can all be quite confident in, is that it will be extraordinary," Youngkin said. “Based on Admiral Kelly’s record at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, CNU and America will be extremely well served.”
Kelly became CNU president on July 1. Having served on the job for a month, Kelly said he already has a plan to carry the university forward.
“We have taken the initial steps to create a strategic compass to guide us moving forward," Kelly said. "We will engage with our entire community to garner our best thoughts, we will set the right course for our journey, and we will energize our captains for the voyage we are all on together.”
He added: “Our strategic compass will provide a pathway to competitive advantage. It will propel us to create and seize new strategic initiatives and it will ensure alignment to the resources entrusted in this university.”
Kelly said as president he plans to focus on recruitment and maintaining graduation rates, among other priorities.
CNU’s immediate former president is Paul Trible who retired last year, having served as president for more than 25 years.