President addresses challenges, dreams in first Campbell Forward stop in Charlotte

Campbell University can be America's next great higher education success story.

On the first stop of his Campbell Forward speaking tour in a room overlooking the lush green of the Myers Park Country Club Golf Course Charlotte, new President William M. Downs laid out his plans and hopes for Campbell University to a room of invested Queen City alumni. Downs pointed out the University's strong health science presence, unique programs like trust and wealth management and PGA Golf Management and the continued success of its athletics programs.

Yet, he said, the school's days as North Carolina's "hidden gem" must come to an end.

"Campbell has become the quintessential 'best kept secret,' and in my view, that's a problem," he said. "Not enough people know about us, and they can't choose you if they don't know about you."

Charlotte was the first of seven stops on the Campbell Forward tour, designed to introduce the University's sixth president in 138 years to Campbell's growing alumni base. Upcoming events are planned for Winston-Salem (Sept. 23) and Raleigh (Oct. 2), with additional stops in Hampton, Va., Fayetteville and Wilmington. Downs will speak on campus at the Oscar N. Harris Student Union on Oct. 28 (tour dates and registration can be found here).

Downs - in just his 78th day as president - lauded Campbell's people (its "special sauce"), its location and its programs in sharing the University's assets before talking about the challenges he, the school and higher education as a whole face in the coming months and years. The school has addressed several infrastructure issues since July - focusing on HVAC issues and adding new washer and dryer units for students in residence halls - and Downs has addressed employee morale with new performance initiatives (such as the Cherished Camel award for staff) and by improving internal communications.

"I've done a lot of active listening, and there's a lot more to do," he said. "My goal is to bring fresh eyes and eager ears - a jolt of energy, some relentless optimism and a willingness to search for the resources that we need."

Downs laid out three priorities - strengthen and defend what works well at Campbell, fix what doesn't work well and "have the audacity to dream big about Campbell's future and the determination to deliver on those dreams."

Allison Cobb, a 1990 Campbell graduate who earned her PharmD from Campbell in 1992, hosted the first Campbell Forward event and introduced Downs to her fellow alumni.

"We're calling this 'Campbell Forward,' because tonight is about embracing the amazing opportunities Campbell has provided us," Cobb said, "while looking forward to the future and the growth of this institution."

Recent business graduate and Kings Mountain native Bailey Ledford shared her Campbell experience with the group before Downs' speech. Ledford expressed her gratitude to Campbell for giving her a foundation academically, personally and spiritually.

"It's a place that doesn't just teach the facts, it teaches values and challenges you to grow," Ledford said. "It challenges you to serve and to believe that your impact matters."

Ledford's brother is also a Campbell graduate, earning his law degree in Raleigh recently and now serving as an assistant district attorney in Cleveland County.

"Our family is a testament of what Campbell can do across generations and across disciplines," Ledford said. "And that's why we're here tonight, because we believe in what Campbell stands for. We believe in investing in a university that invests right back into its students. Whether it's through scholarships, mentoring, attending events or sharing your candle story, your impact matters."

In closing, Downs said no university can succeed without support from its alumni, and he challenged the room to share their dreams for the school and speak up if there are things they think Campbell can do differently. He pointed out that only seven students from Mecklenburg County were part of the 700-plus incoming class of freshmen and transfer students this fall.

"We can do better than that," he said. "And with you as ambassadors for your school, we can."