BECKLEY, W.Va. - For more than two decades, Mountain State University President and CEO, Dr. Charles H. Polk has dedicated his life to ensuring the institution becomes and remains a thriving success. In effort to pay proper tribute to Dr. Polk, MSU’s Board of Trustees announced on June 25, 2010, MSU’s School of Leadership and Professional Development would come to bear his name.
“Aside from the obvious reasoning for naming the school after Dr. Polk, it is germane, as he is the embodiment of what leadership is truly about: vision, implementation and nurturing to fruition. That has been, to my mind, the legacy of Dr. Polk as it relates to the Mountain State University story,” said V. Max Beard, Chair-Elect of MSU’s Board of Trustees.
Dr. Polk began his career as college and university president with his appointment as president of Daytona Beach Community College in 1974 at the age of 31, making him the youngest college president in the country at the time. During his 16-year tenure at Daytona Beach, he expanded the institution to include 4 new campuses, 40,000 students and a budget of $45 million. Additionally, he raised $85 million for campus development.
In 1990, he accepted the presidency of Beckley College. Within a year, he marked the transition of the school from a two-year school to a bachelor’s degree granting institution by renaming the institution The College of West Virginia. The coming years would see significant growth and changes, including the expansion of the Beckley campus; another name change to become Mountain State University in 2001; growth and development of branch campuses in W.Va., Fla., Pa., N.C., and Washington D.C.; and most recently, expansion of programs including the University’s first doctoral program, the Doctorate of Executive Leadership.Among his other achievements are being the recipient of several awards, such as West Virginia Executive’s “West Virginia’s 50 Most Powerful” in 2008. Dr. Polk is also an accomplished writer, publishing his first book, Apex Thinking: A Guide to Long-term Leadership for the Rising CEO, in April 2008. (http://www.apexthinking.com/)
Mountain State University’s Charles H. Polk School of Leadership and Professional Development offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs to prepare students for leadership roles in their professional and personal lives. Each degree program provides students with real-world education to build on their experience. Since 1999, more than 2,500 students have earned leadership degrees from Mountain State University
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