ALBION, MI - The interim president of an Ohio private college is set to take over as Albion College’s next president.

Wayne Webster, interim president of the College of Wooster outside Cleveland, was announced Tuesday, April 4, as Albion College’s 18th president.

Webster officially takes over July 1 for interim president Joe Calvaruso, who took over in December 2021 for Mathew Johnson, who resigned amid controversy.

“Webster brings 23 years of experience to his new role, including an extensive background in development, alumni relations, student engagement and shared governance,” Albion College officials said in a statement.

Webster stepped in as Wooster’s interim president in July 2022 after serving as the college’s vice president of advancement since 2016. Highlights of his time at the Ohio college include a $40-million expansion of the Lowry Student Center and raising $190 million for a life sciences building and endowment growth.

In total, Wooster’s endowment grew by $140 million during Webster’s tenure, Albion College officials said.

Prior to the College of Wooster, Webster was vice president at the University of Northern Colorado. Before that, he was vice president for advancement at Ripon College in Wisconsin.

Webster’s history of fundraising, including more than $250 million over his career, is a major reason Albion College hired him, officials said.

“At each institution, he has played a leadership role in the crafting and execution of strategic plans, campus master plans and annual budgets,” officials said.

Webster earned an education doctorate from George Washington University and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in public administration, political science and management at Doane University in Nebraska. He also earned a certificate in fundraising management from Indiana University, according to his Wooster bio.

Calvaruso led Albion College on an interim basis for more than a year. An Albion College alumnus, Calvaruso has worked with Board of Trustees Chair Joey Miller to instill unity on campus after the controversial end of Johnson’s 18-month tenure.

Johnson stepped down after a Dec. 14 incident with Hazel Lias, a 76-year-old retired Albion teacher and NAACP executive board officer, at an Albion College home basketball game. She went public three days later, detailing a verbally aggressive altercation.

Johnson denied the allegations of aggression, while multiple faculty and community members also described Johnson as “a bully.”

Webster also takes over at Albion College as the school is in the middle of a Michigan Attorney General’s investigation into alleged mismanagement of endowment funds. The college denied the allegations, saying allocations of endowment funds were within college policy.

Read more from The Jackson Citizen Patriot:

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