DR. CHRISTOPHER HOWARD NAMED 24TH PRESIDENT OF H-SC

Howard poised to become one of the country's youngest college presidents

HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, VA (April 14, 2009)--In recent decades, Hampden-Sydney College has become one of the most successful athletic programs in all of NCAA Division III athletics, continuously breaking barriers and bringing in some of the best and brightest individuals to be a part of its close-knit community.

The College's latest choice in president certainly follows that trend by once again breaking the mold.

On July 1, 2009, Dr. Christopher B. Howard will become the 24th President of Hampden-Sydney College, becoming one of the youngest college presidents in the United States. He will also be the first African-American to hold the College's most prominent position.

Dr. Howard comes to Hampden-Sydney from Oklahoma University, where, since 2005, he served as Vice President for Leadership & Strategic Initiatives as well as Director of the Honors College Leadership Center and a President's Associates Presidential Professor.

To say that Dr. Howard's resume is impressive would be a tremendous understatement.

A distinguished graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, Dr. Howard earned his BS in political science and starred on the gridiron as well, earning All-America honors in football.

As a Rhodes Scholar, Dr. Howard earned his Doctorate in politics at Oxford University and an MBA with distinction from the Harvard Business School.

Dr. Howard remains very much involved in community outreach and his experiences in business, the military and foreign and domestic affairs make him an ideal choice to continue furthering Hampden-Sydney's mission of "creating good men and good citizens."

Currently he is:

·         The Founder and Chairman of the Impact Young Lives Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides scholarship and travel opportunities for South African university students of color.  

·         A Senior Advisor on African Affairs at Stonebridge International, an international advisory firm for Fortune 1000 companies.

·         A member of the National Council of Advisors of the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress, a non-partisan, non-profit organization founded in 1965. The Center is the only organization that systematically examines past successes and failures of the Presidency and relates its findings to present challenges and opportunities.  

·         A moderator at the Aspen Institute, which fosters values-based leadership and provides a neutral and balanced venue to discuss and act on critical issues.  

·         A member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a non-partisan resource for information and analysis.

·         The youngest member of the annual US News & World Report – Harvard University “America’s Best Leaders” selection committee.

In areas related to business,

·         Dr. Howard is a member of the MOBO Systems Advisory Board and was formerly on the Board of Directors of Converge, an IT de-manufacturing firm.  

·         He served in General Electric’s Corporate Initiatives Group.

·         He has worked in sales, marketing, international project management, strategic planning, internal consulting, and business development at Bristol-Myers Squibb.  

·         He has also served as the acting Managing Director of Endeavor South Africa, a global initiative that supports entrepreneurs in the developing world.

In the military,

·         An Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, he was called to active duty during 2003 in Afghanistan where he was awarded a Bronze Star.

·         He serves as the Reserve Air Attaché to Liberia.

-www.hsc.edu/athletics-