Centenary President David Rowe Leaving to Take Job in Florida

A Florida school chooses Centenary's president as its new leader, so David Rowe will be leaving the college after more than six years at the helm.

Dr. Rowe has announced he's leaving the Shreveport school next year to lead Lake Highland Preparatory School in Orlando. He'll remain at Centenary through July 1, 2016.

"Leading in a different educational sector will pose a new and exciting set of learning and growth challenges for me," Dr. Rowe said in a message to the Shreveport campus, "but I am so fortunate to be able to draw on the learning and growth that each of you made possible for me here at Centenary."

When he took over at Centenary in August 2009, Dr. Rowe challenged the college to "define church-related liberal arts education for the 21st century." In turn, the college globalized students' educational experiences, shored up institutional finances and integrated the college's curricular and co-curricular offerings.

Lake Highland Prep serves 2,000 pre-K through 12th-grade students, and is the 8th-largest member of the National Association of Independent Schools in the U.S. Board Chairman David Jablonski said he's delighted with the choice of president.

"As a successful CEO, an educator, and a parent, Dr. David Rowe brings a breadth and depth of vision and experience that will propel Lake Highland on its mission to be the School of Opportunity for all our students," Jablonski said. "We are very pleased he will be joining Lake Highland as President."

Chairman of the Centenary College Board of Trustees, George D. Nelson, Jr., has also issued a statement on behalf of the board.

"I salute David for his leadership in positioning Centenary to compete in a challenging higher education landscape. My colleagues and I hat to see him go, but we send our best wishes and support him and his family as they begin their transition to Florida. We have begun to talk with search firms and will soon form a presidential search committee that will be inclusive of the various College stakeholders."