SALISBURY, MD—With a community of nearly 9,000 students and employees, approximately 100 buildings and a campus spanning some 220 acres, running Salisbury University — or any university — is the equivalent of overseeing a small town.
Since July 2022, SU’s 10th President, Dr. Carolyn Ringer Lepre, has been up to that task, engaging with students, faculty, staff, alumni, and constituents throughout Maryland and beyond to ensure the University is meeting and exceeding the needs of its students, employees and the greater community.
The respect and esteem she has earned among those groups in the past year has landed her on this year’s list of “Maryland’s Most Admired CEOs.” Bestowed by the Baltimore-based statewide newspaper The Daily Record and BridgeTower Media, the honor recognizes those whose leadership and vision are admired by those around them. Selections are based on professional accomplishments, community service and letters of reference.
“My favorite part of being a university President is the opportunity to meet and work with so many people whose lives are changed by the work we do,” said Lepre. “I am honored and humbled that the admiration I have for the members of our campus community — in Salisbury and beyond — is reflected back through this award. I thank those who join me every day in working to make our collective vision for Salisbury University a reality.”
Since joining the SU community, Lepre has set goals of increasing enrollment and retention rates; creating a campus-wide diversity, equity and inclusion plan; making SU a top 25 campus in U.S. News & World Report rankings; and placing a greater emphasis on study abroad and study away programs.
She also has placed an emphasis on creating a facilities plan to attract students and support high-quality educational experiences; restructuring the SU budget to ensure the University’s spending is the most strategic it can be.
In addition, she has announced priorities including adding new varsity sports including men’s and women’s golf, creating new scholarships as part of fundraising efforts for the University’s 100th anniversary in 2025, and continuing to tell the SU story through its “Make Tomorrow Yours” brand.
This is Lepre’s third honor from The Daily Record in the past six months. Others have included being recognized among Maryland’s Top 100 Women and named to its 2023 Higher Education Power List. The publication also recently named SU among its inaugural Empowering Women Award recipients, in part due to Lepre’s leadership.
Other members of the University System of Maryland (USM) community joining her on the Most Admired CEOs list include Chancellor Jay A. Perman and USM Regent Robert Wallace, who earned the accolade as the founding president, CEO and chair of BITHGROUP Technologies, LLC, an IT and hardware solutions provider based in Baltimore.
Their awards will be presented during a ceremony on Thursday, November 9. For more information visit the event webpage.
Learn more about SU and opportunities to Make Tomorrow Yours at the SU website.