Stuebner Named Interim President

Following a targeted national search of candidates, the Simpson College Board of Trustees has appointed Dr. Susan D. Stuebner to serve as interim president. She will begin her duties July 28.

Dr. Stuebner most recently served as president and professor of Business and Social Sciences at Colby-Sawyer College in New London, N.H., for eight years. She concluded her time at Colby-Sawyer as an adviser to Interim President Dr. Laura Sykes during the 2024-25 academic year.

Previously, Stuebner held the roles of executive vice president and chief operating officer at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa. She also spent 10 years at Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pa., where she provided key leadership through a growing breadth of senior administrative roles — culminating with her appointment as vice president for Administration and Planning. Her early career days included roles as head women’s basketball coach at Albright College in Reading, Pa., as well as assistant women’s basketball coach at Carleton College in Northfield, Minn.

A Minnesota native, Stuebner earned her Ed.M. and Ed.D. from Harvard University and her A.B. in psychology from Dartmouth College. In addition to authoring several publications and multiple presentations on strategic planning, financial management and teaching, she also spent five years as a teaching fellow at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education.

“We are exceptionally fortunate to have someone of Dr. Stuebner’s caliber leading Simpson College at this pivotal moment in our history,” said Terry Lillis ’77, acting chair of Simpson’s board of trustees. “Her distinguished leadership as a lifelong champion for liberal arts education will be a tremendous asset as we continue our pursuit of transformative initiatives.”

Stuebner is set to serve as interim president through the 2025-26 academic year. Lillis says it is also possible that Stuebner will become Simpson’s president, depending on mutual interest following a board review later this year.

“I am truly honored to be joining the Simpson community,” said Stuebner. “This is a special place with an inspiring history of distinctive excellence in preparing students to make a profound impact in their professions and the communities they serve. The headwinds remain fierce in higher education, but Simpson is clearly poised for a promising future. I look forward to working closely with our outstanding faculty and staff to maximize the great opportunities ahead of us.”

Stuebner’s appointment as interim president means that Acting President Terry Handley ’09 will now return to his role as Simpson’s Board of Trustees chair. Handley assumed presidential duties after the death of President Jay Byers on April 17.

“This has been an extraordinarily difficult time for Simpson College,” said Handley. “But the collective strength and resiliency demonstrated by our community has been nothing short of remarkable. We are once again in good hands with the coming leadership of Interim President Stuebner.”