Bluefield State University President Robin Capehart to Retire

Attorney Robert Capehart was appointed President of Bluefield State University (West Virginia) in 2019 after serving as interim president for more than seven months. He served as president of West Liberty University from 2007 to 2015, and he also served as chair of the VA Council of Presidents. After leaving West Liberty University and prior to joining Bluefield State, Capehart formed a higher education consulting firm, Georgetown Solutions, L.L.C. Capehart also served in government as state Secretary of Tax and Revenue under then Governor Cecil Underwood, and as counsel to the West Virginia Senate Committee on Finance.

Capehart announced he plans to retire at the end of the calendar year. Capehart, newly married, noted that he wanted to spend more time with his wife who had accepted an opportunity out of state. By some accounts, Capehart has had a challenging tenure with the faculty at a majority white HBCU.

A graduate of West Virginia University School of Law (J.D.) and Georgetown University Law Center (LLM in Taxation), Capehart was an adjunct professor at West Virginia Northern Community College and an associate professor and director of tax studies at Marhsall University.

He has also dabbled in the entertainment industry.

President Darren Reisberg to Depart Hartwick College for Vanderbilt Senior Counselor Role

Darren Reisberg, President of Hartwick College in Oneota, NY has announced plans to step down at the end of the academic semester to join Vanderbilt University as Senior Counselor in the Office of the Chancellor. Reisberg was only appointed President at Hartwick effective August 1, 2022. Prior to joining Hartwick, Reisberg served as Chair of the Illinois State Board of Education.

Reisberg previously worked with the Vanderbilt Chancellor (Daniel Diermeier) when they were both at the University of Chicago where Reisberg served as a vice president and secretary of the University.

Reisberg earned his JD from Yale Law School.

King University President Alexander W. Whitaker, J.D. to Retire

After an 8-year tenure as President of the religiously affiliated King University in Tennessee, Alexander Whitaker has announced his plans to step down at the end of the 2023-2024 academic year. President Whitaker, who served since 2016, previously served as chief of staff and as head of major gift fundraising at Berry College in Georgia. Also before joining King College, Whitaker served as a gubernatorial appointee on the Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission. He is a trustee of the Trinity School for Ministry.

Prior to embarking on a career in higher education, President Whitaker served in the Navy for 25 years as an active-duty officer and as a judge advocate. He earned his J.D. from the University of Virginia and an LLM from Georgetown University (International and Comparative Law). He also holds an MA in religion and a Th.M.