Bethany College President, Rev. Dr. Tamara Rodenberg, Announces Retirement

Board of trustees to launch national search for her successor

BETHANY, W.Va. — Ken Bado, chair of the Bethany College Board of Trustees, today announced the college’s president, Reverend Dr. Tamara Nichols Rodenberg, will retire from her position at the end of the Fall 2021 semester.

“Dr. Rodenberg was the right president at the right time for Bethany College,” Bado said. “She has successfully guided Bethany through a challenging time in the college’s history and will leave behind a strong record of accomplishment. I and the board are indebted to her for her strong leadership of the college.”

• During her six years as president, Dr. Rodenberg has:
• Successfully led Bethany through its 10-year re-accreditation from the Higher Learning Council, an exhaustive, multi-year project.
• Worked to secure a long-term debt restructuring package through the federal government that will boost Bethany’s annual operating revenue by $1.5 million annually and inject $4 million in capital spending into the campus.
• Created a School of Graduate Studies to expand the college’s mission and its academic offerings to the students we serve.
• Developed a renewed sense of community, purpose and Bison spirit among the student body.
• Affirmed and kept visible the college’s religious heritage and relationship with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
• Installed a state-of-the art athletic field and food service facility, significantly enhancing the student experience.

“Serving as president of Bethany College has been an honor and a privilege,” Rodenberg said. “It has been a joy to positively impact the lives of thousands of young adults and prepare them for a life of accomplishment and purpose. Now that the college has reached important milestones that serve as the foundation of a strong future, it is time for me to hand over the reins to a new leader who will work with the trustees to transform Bethany and lead it into a new decade.”

Upon her departure from Bethany, Dr. Rodenberg will begin a well-earned sabbatical. The college and the board of trustees will immediately launch a nationwide search for Bethany College’s next president.

ABOUT BETHANY COLLEGE

Bethany College, founded in 1840, is the oldest private college in West Virginia. The Bethany experience focuses on academic excellence in the area of liberal arts and prepares students for a lifetime of work and a life of significance.