Salem Academy and College Renews President’s Contract for Five Years
Winston-Salem, NC (MARCH 4, 2024) – Salem Academy and College’s Board of Trustees announced today the renewal of President Summer McGee’s contract for an additional five years. McGee joined Salem in July 2021 as the 22nd president. Her new term will continue through June 30, 2029.
“Salem’s Board of Trustees unanimously voted to extend President McGee’s contract in support of her remarkable leadership to Salem as an institution, and more importantly, in support of her outstanding dedication to educating girls and women who become leaders in health and STEAM-related fields,” Salem Academy and College Board of Trustees Patrice Black Davis said.
According to Davis, the contract renewal comes at a crucial time in Salem’s history as the historic institution continues to focus its national leadership efforts on a STEAM curriculum at Salem Academy and its distinctive health leadership focus at Salem College.
The board also credits McGee for prioritizing key institutional initiatives to elevate Salem’s financial health, ensure record-setting enrollment growth, promote strong levels of fundraising, and pave the way for Salem to lead as a national innovator among all-girls independent schools and liberal arts colleges across the nation.
“Under President McGee’s leadership, Salem Academy and College has successfully launched an ambitious transformation of its academic and student experience and has achieved significant milestones in national and state rankings,” Black said.
Just this past year, Niche ranked Salem Academy as the top boarding school in North Carolina and as the No. 1 best high school for STEM education in Forsyth County. Salem College saw the first increase in total undergraduate enrollment in 10 years while also breaking record number of applications for fall 2024. Recognized by U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges 2024, Washington Monthly College Rankings 2023, and the New York Times Magazine, McGee has positioned Salem College as one of America’s top liberal arts colleges. Salem College received an A- grade from Forbes’ College Financial Health in 2023.
McGee’s extensive expertise and experience in health sciences has helped Salem charter its innovative and distinctive path. To date, Salem College added 11 academic programs related to health leadership, launched a unique four year leadership development program for students, and developed partnerships with nonprofits, health systems, and corporations around the nation. In addition, Salem Academy added a four-year STEAM curriculum, wellness programs, and a global travel experience while also experiencing enrollment growth.
“It is my honor to continue to serve as Salem Academy and College’s president for another five years to help continue our forward momentum and to ensure our growth and strength,” McGee said.
“It is my privilege and joy to help lead this important and historic institution forward as a distinctive and innovative educational leader and to ensure that our vital mission to empower and educate girls and women continues,” she added.
McGee is an active member of the Winston-Salem community serving on the boards of Old Salem, Inc., Novant Health System Triad Region, REACH Women’s Network, and North Carolina Biotechnology Center for the Triad Region. This year, the Triad Business Journal (TBJ) recognized McGee as an “Outstanding Women in Business” honoree and is a recipient of the TBJ’s Power Player Award for three consecutive years. Recently, McGee joined the national board of directors for the Council of Independent Colleges.
McGee holds a doctorate in bioethics and health policy from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health and graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with two bachelor’s degrees in philosophy and bioethics from Indiana University Bloomington. McGee is a graduate of the Harvard University Graduate School of Education Management Development Program and has served on the faculty of Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, the University of Kansas School of Medicine, and Albany Medical College.
For more information about Salem College, visit salem.edu and visit salemacademy.com to learn more about Salem Academy.
About Salem Academy and College
Salem Academy and College is the nation’s oldest continuously operating educational institution for girls and women in the United States. Salem Academy is intentionally focused on STEAM to transform students’ education through the holistic integration of rigorous academic and co-curricular experiences that build character and leadership. Salem College provides women a liberal arts education with a distinctive focus on health leadership ensuring graduates understand the power, importance, and complexity of health in our society. Salem College prepares students for a range of career paths to lead in making the world a better, healthier, more equitable place and is the only national liberal arts college exclusively focused on health leadership.
For more than 250 years, Salem Academy and College has empowered and prepared girls and women from all around the world to effect change, shatter expectations and lead. Salem Academy and College is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, a vibrant educational community known for arts and innovation.
News media contact
Meagan Coughlin, APR
(336) 721.2665
meagan.coughlin@salem.edu