Public Radio for the Piedmont and High Country
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Salem Academy and College appoints Gary Daynes as interim president

Salem Academy and College’s Board of Trustees announced the appointment of an interim president today. 

Gary Daynes will take over for Summer McGee, who is stepping down at the end of the month to become president of Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory. 

Daynes previously served as Salem’s chief enrollment officer and vice president for institutional effectiveness, among other roles.

He’s currently the founder and principal of Back Porch Consulting, an education firm that works with small institutions to build strategic plans for long-term sustainability. 

In a press release, Daynes said few institutions have "such a significant history" as Salem Academy and College. 

“I’ve had the honor to work with Salem’s faculty, staff, board, and alumnae over the past five years, and I am thrilled to join the Salem community as interim president, working to sustain and strengthen the institution during this time of transition,” he said in the release. 

As Daynes steps into his new role on July 1, officials say he’ll focus on continuing admissions growth, enhancing fundraising efforts and supporting Salem’s search for a permanent president.

Amy Diaz covers education for WFDD in partnership with Report For America. You can follow her on Twitter at @amydiaze.

Amy Diaz began covering education in North Carolina’s Piedmont region and High Country for WFDD in partnership with Report For America in 2022. Before entering the world of public radio, she worked as a local government reporter in Flint, Mich. where she was named the 2021 Rookie Writer of the Year by the Michigan Press Association. Diaz is originally from Florida, where she interned at the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and freelanced for the Tampa Bay Times. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of South Florida, but truly got her start in the field in elementary school writing scripts for the morning news. You can follow her on Twitter at @amydiaze.

Support quality journalism, like the story above,
with your gift right now.

Donate