Dr. Franklin W. Evans agrees to become West Liberty University’s 37th president after the West Liberty Board of Governors spent months interviewing and evaluating candidates.

WEST LIBERTY, W. Va. — Dr. Evans will become the university’s 37th president.

On Nov. 19, 2020, the Governors named Dr. W. Franklin Evans as the WLU’s next president.
Evans will replace Dr. Stephen Greiner who has served as president since January 2016. Greiner announced his plans to retire in November 2019. President Greiner originally planned to retire on June 30, 2020 but agreed to remain president until the end of December because the search was delayed due to the pandemic.

“Dr. Evans has a great personality, has a lot of experience and I think the campus will see that he interacts with students very well. I am excited for Dr. Evans and the future of West Liberty,” said Dr. Greiner.

Evans will be the first Black president in the history of the university. He is active in many organizations that promote equality, such as the NAACP, Black Family Preservation Group and the National Association of Black School Educators.

Evans has 25 years of experience in education and is the current president of Voorhees College. He has also served as interim president, the provost and the chief academic officer of South Carolina State University.

“I am excited and certainly honored and pleased that [not only] the Board of Governors thought I was well suited for the position, but that other constituents as well. So, I am ready to roll up my sleeves and get on campus and hopefully have an impact at the institution,” said Dr. Evans.

Evans is currently preparing to leave Voorhees College and start his term at West Liberty University officially on Jan. 1, 2021. He will reside on campus in the president’s home, Colonial Heights.

For more information, please email West Liberty University’s Director of Media Relations at [email protected].