President's Office
Since 1886, Alma College has prepared graduates who think critically, serve generously, lead purposefully, live responsibly and contribute to meeting the challenges of a rapidly changing world.
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Jeffrey Abernathy Named President Emeritus Following Alma College’s announcement of a national search for its 14th president in April, the Board of Trustees has moved to the next phase of
Commencement 2022
Eric P. Blackhurst ’83
Interim President of Alma College
The Board of Trustees appointed Eric P. Blackhurst, JD, as interim president in November 2024. He brings four decades of leadership and governance experience to the role of Interim President of the college. He graduated from Alma College with degrees in history and Spanish and received the Barlow Trophy, the highest honor the college awards to a graduating senior. He earned his law degree from the University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law in 1986 and went on to practice law at Snell and Wilmer, a major US law firm, before moving to The Dow Chemical Company, where he practiced for 35 years, retiring as Associate General Counsel in 2024. Over his career at Dow, he was known as a mentor and recognized for his excellence in people leadership and development, while also playing leading roles through some of the company’s most transformational mergers, acquisitions, and historical periods.
In addition to his business and law experience, he has experience in the classroom at Alma College and Northwood University, where he has taught a variety of subjects, including international business law, entertainment law, and general business law.
A commitment to service
Blackhurst joined the Alma College Board of Trustees in 2011 and served as its chair from 2018 to 2022, honing a deep knowledge of the institution and providing steady leadership through the Covid-19 pandemic and during the most ambitious and successful fundraising campaign in the college’s history.
He has also served a number of other non-profit institutions, including more than nine years on the board of MyMichigan Health, a major regional health system, including three years as board chair. He served seven years on the board of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, the premier organization focused on empowering college, university, and foundation boards to govern with knowledge and confidence, and AGB Search, a national higher education executive search firm. Blackhurst has been a sought-after speaker and conference panelist on higher education board governance. He has further served on numerous nonprofit boards and led charitable fundraising initiatives in Michigan. In the for-profit sector, Blackhurst currently serves on the board of Horizon Bancorp, where he chairs the governance and nominating committee and serves on the compensation committee.
The Search for Alma's 14th President
Alma College seeks a dynamic, collaborative, and visionary leader to serve as its 14th President. The next President will sustain and build upon a record of success at Alma, promote the distinctive quality of the institution in a competitive landscape, and develop a shared vision for growth and sustainability. This will be an exciting opportunity for a leader who can think innovatively and creatively about the challenges and opportunities in higher education and lead the College into a thriving future.
