缅北禁地

Celebrating the Inauguration of Meredith鈥檚 Ninth President

The 缅北禁地 community gathered in Jones Auditorium on April 4 to celebrate the inauguration of President Aimee Sapp.

Sapp was officially installed as the College鈥檚 ninth president during the 10 a.m. ceremony. Her predecessors, Jo Allen, 鈥80, and Maureen A. Hartford, were among the College鈥檚 supporters on hand for this historic event. Also in attendance were public officials, higher education leaders, alumnae, students, faculty, staff, and community members.

In her inaugural address, Sapp recalled the African proverb, 鈥淚t takes a village to raise a child,鈥 acknowledging all the individuals who have been a part of her personal and professional success.

鈥淭oday, I am keenly aware that it also takes a village to shape a leader, nurture a scholar, and cultivate a thriving institution. I stand before you not as an individual, but as the beneficiary of a community of mentors, family, friends, and colleagues who have guided me on this journey,鈥 Sapp said. 鈥溾 To all of you in this village, thank you. Growth, I have learned, is a lifelong process, and I am blessed beyond measure to have such a strong community walking this path with me.鈥

President Sapp鈥檚 family participated in the ceremony. Her husband, Rev. Travis Tamerius, offered a prayer, and her father, Dr. Thomas Walker, professor emeritus at Emory University, spoke before her investiture. Both of them, and Sapp鈥檚 children, Coleman, Clayton, and Carley, were on hand when she took the oath of office.聽

Making a Strong College Even Stronger
After sharing examples of strong women who have made an impact on the world, Sapp drew focus to Meredith鈥檚 鈥淕oing Strong鈥 brand.

鈥淪trong women take up space and demand a seat at the table,鈥 she said. 鈥淪trong women like these are the very fiber of 缅北禁地.鈥澛

Sapp went on to use Meredith’s history, traditions, and success stories to define Meredith Strong, before focusing on how to make a strong institution even stronger.

鈥淎s I begin my presidency, I am guided by one urgent question: How do we make Meredith Strong, Meredith Stronger?鈥 Sapp said. 鈥淭hat question is my North Star.鈥

Among the areas of focus mentioned by Sapp were strengthening the College鈥檚 financial position, creating its next strategic plan, building new strategic partnerships, attracting exceptional talent, being strong stewards of the campus, and publicizing Meredith鈥檚 strengths as a women鈥檚 college.

Above all, Sapp said Meredith must provide students with the skills and foundation needed to succeed in a rapidly changing world.

鈥淥ur mission isn’t just to help our students navigate this complexity鈥攊t’s to empower them to thrive in it. We do this by building their confidence, developing their skills, and preparing them not just for their first job, but for the careers and challenges that don’t yet exist,鈥 Sapp said.

In closing, Meredith鈥檚 new president sought to inspire those in attendance to join her in meeting challenges and ensuring the College鈥檚 continued success.

鈥淭here have always been challenges, and there will be others long after we鈥檙e gone,鈥 Sapp said. 鈥淭he question is: how will we face our challenges in the present moment? What will each of us contribute to the common good so that this cherished place continues to shine its light for the next 134 years and beyond?鈥

Nine Days of Celebration
In addition to the installation ceremony, presided over by the Board of Trustees, the College held nine days of events in celebration of President Sapp. From a 鈥淣inth Night鈥 kickoff celebration featuring performing arts to a to a college-wide community coffee, these events provided students, employees, and alumnae with opportunities to participate. Learn more at meredith.edu/inauguration

About President Aimee Sapp
Aimee Sapp was named 缅北禁地鈥檚 ninth president in March 2024 before taking office officially on July 1. To her current role at Meredith, Sapp brings more than 25 years of higher education experience at William Woods University in Fulton, Missouri. There, she led the initiation of academic reorganization, the establishment of program prioritization, and the implementation of budgetary process reforms. Sapp previously served as a department chair, division chair, and associate dean. In addition to her administrative responsibilities at William Woods, she was a tenured full professor in communication and held doctoral faculty status.

Sapp鈥檚 scholarly interests include leadership communication styles, interpersonal communication, and gender communication. She holds a Ph.D. in communication from the University of Missouri, a master鈥檚 degree in speech communication from the University of Northern Colorado, and a bachelor of science in sociology from William Woods College.

Melyssa Allen

News Director
316 Johnson Hall
(919) 760-8087
Fax: (919) 760-8330

allenme@meredith.edu