The Hollins University Board of Trustees voted unanimously to extend President Mary Dana Hinton’s contract through June 30, 2030. Hinton is Hollins’ 13th president and its first African American president. She joined Hollins in 2020.

“The board of trustees has the highest confidence in President Hinton, who has demonstrated outstanding leadership,” said Board Chair Debra Meade. “As we prepare for a bold future ahead for Hollins in an ever-changing world, it is essential that we ensure her visionary leadership remains in place through 2030.”

Meade cited Hinton’s numerous achievements of the past three years, including her and her team’s “steady, caring and successful leadership during the pandemic”;  her vision to create and fund an Imagination Campaign that led to updated facilities, new academic programs, and enhanced access, including the HOPE scholars program for students in the greater Roanoke region; and her work to foster student success, well-being, and belonging with an integrated approach that gives students better support and has improved retention rates.

Meade added that Hinton’s fundraising success has been “unmatched,” securing more than $100 million in gifts to the university in her first three years, including the single largest gift in the history of women’s colleges.

This past year, Hinton has overseen the development of a collaborative, transformational strategic plan for Hollins, while preparing to launch the largest comprehensive campaign in the institution’s history, Meade said.

“We could not be more pleased to have President Hinton as a part of our community, and we are grateful for her ongoing leadership.”