Mars Hill University Names Insider Dr. Tracy Parkinson as Next President

Six years after arriving at Mars Hill University as provost, Dr. Tracy Parkinson will become the institution's next president. The Mars Hill University Board of Trustees announced the appointment on March 31, concluding a national search led by Buffkin Baker Executive Search by selecting someone already at the center of university operations.

Parkinson will succeed Tony Floyd, who joined Mars Hill as its sixth president in June 2018 and announced his retirement in September 2025. Floyd himself hired Parkinson in 2020, describing him at the time as "an incredibly well-rounded and gifted academic who has devoted his life to higher education and students" and noting that Parkinson's personal story mirrored that of many Mars Hill students.

That parallel is direct. Parkinson grew up in Cleveland, Tennessee, earned his undergraduate degree at Carson-Newman College as a first-generation student, and went on to complete a master's and Ph.D. Mars Hill's roughly 1,111 enrolled students skew heavily first-generation and Pell-eligible, and Parkinson has built a professional network around exactly that population, including work with the Yes We Must Coalition, a national consortium of small private colleges focused on access for first-generation students, as well as the Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education and the John Gardner Institute.

Parkinson came to Mars Hill from Coker University in Hartsville, South Carolina, where he had served as executive vice president and acting president after six years as Coker's provost. Before Coker, he was a professor of modern languages and held administrative roles at King College in Tennessee. At Mars Hill, he was promoted to Executive Vice President and Provost in 2022 and now oversees academic affairs, accreditation, enrollment management, financial aid, grants, and marketing and communications.

Brent Townsend, trustee emeritus and chair of the Presidential Search Committee, said the process pointed unmistakably toward Parkinson. "He brings not only experience and vision, but also a deep understanding of who we are and who we are called to be," Townsend said. "Throughout our time with him, it became clear that he possesses both the strategic leadership needed for this season and a genuine care for students, faculty, and staff."

Parkinson's own statement reflected a rootedness in the region that goes beyond his administrative portfolio. "Mars Hill University is a remarkably special place with exceptional students, faculty, and staff," he said. "My family and I have fallen in love with MHU, the town, the county, and the region, and we are proud to call this home. I could not be more grateful for this opportunity to serve a place I care for deeply."

His board service extends through the Council of Independent Colleges, the Appalachian College Association, SACSCOC, and the Land of Sky P20 Council.

Mars Hill University, founded in 1856 as the French Broad Baptist Institute, is the oldest institution of higher learning in western North Carolina on its original site. Situated 17 miles north of Asheville in Madison County, the university maintains a 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio and has produced nearly 25,000 alumni worldwide. Parkinson will formally assume the presidency at the close of the current academic year.