The Jacksonville University board of trustees announced Oct. 28 it had appointed Lisa Sutherland as interim president of the university.
Her appointment follows the Oct. 21 announcement that JU President Tim Cost was leaving his position but would remain with the university as chancellor beginning in summer 2026. Sutherland’s appointment is effective July 1, 2026.
In late June, Sutherland was named interim dean of the Davis College of Business & Technology after leading the JU Honors Program since 2023.
Among her accomplishments, she founded the Honors Living Learning Community, expanded honors offerings, instituted dedicated academic advising and co-leads the university’s 2025-30 strategic planning process.
John Miller, chair of the JU board, said in a release that Sutherland’s “unique combination of academic expertise and executive experience, along with her demonstrated success in multiple leadership roles at JU, positions her to provide the steady, strategic leadership our institution needs.”
Sutherland was a faculty member at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Dartmouth College.
She also founded and led Sutherland Group LLC, a global consulting firm that provided strategic leadership to brands including Walmart Inc., Yum! Brands and Kraft-Heinz. She also held a senior executive role at Kellogg Co.
“Jacksonville University is a remarkable institution and our strength lies in its students, faculty, and staff — all united by a shared drive to shape the future,” she said in the release.
“Together, we’ll build on our strong foundation, advance our strategic goals, and ensure every student experiences the life-changing education that defines JU.”
Cost called Sutherland “an agile leader who brings immense talent and a proven track record of leadership.”
“Her strategic insight, combined with her deep commitment to student success and academic excellence, makes her ideally suited to lead the University during this important transition,” he said in the release. “I have full confidence in her ability to advance our mission and maintain our momentum.”
Sutherland earned a Ph.D at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she also completed a postdoctoral fellowship at UNC’s Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.
According to the release, the JU board plans to conduct a national search in spring 2026 for the university’s next long-term president. The university says details about the search are forthcoming.