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Philadelphia Educator Selected As Next President Of JCSU

Clarence Armbrister will become the next president of Johnson C. Smith University, the school said in a statement Wednesday.

Armbrister will be officially installed in January as the historically-black college's 14th president.  He's had leadership roles in k-12 education and in universities. Currently, he serves as president of Girard College, a boarding school for students from economically-disadvantaged families in the Philadelphia region.

Previously, Armbrister has worked with the School District of Philadelphia and has served in senior administrative positions at Temple University and Johns Hopkins University. In addition, Armbrister has held executive positions in law, government, and finance.

Shirley Hughes, chair of Johnson C. Smith's board of trustees, led the school's nine-month search for a new president.

"We were particularly impressed with [Armbrister's] passion for seeing that young people are educated, particularly underserved young people," Hughes said, "And we were furthermore impressed with his own testimony of how being a first-generation college student had been transformative in his life."

Armbrister will succeed current president Ronald Carter, who is stepping down at the end of 2017 after nine years of leading the university.

Johnson C. Smith University is among the Charlotte-area's oldest institutions of higher learning. In April, the school marked 150 years in operation.

Nick de la Canal is an on air host and reporter covering breaking news, arts and culture, and general assignment stories. His work frequently appears on air and online. Periodically, he tweets: @nickdelacanal