Emory & Henry names new president

Washington County-based private college Emory & Henry University announced Monday that it was promoting Louise Fincher from interim president to the university’s permanent 23rd president.

The university’s board of trustees unanimously selected Fincher as president during its spring board meeting. Fincher has more than 30 years of experience in higher education and health care.

“From her first day at Emory & Henry, Lou has led with compassion, integrity and a deep sense of purpose that has inspired our campus community,” Emory & Henry Board of Trustees Chair Ann Sluder said in a statement. “Her thoughtful leadership, inspiring vision and genuine care for our students, faculty and staff have made a lasting impact. She has the full support of the board of trustees to lead Emory & Henry University.”

Fincher joined the college in 2014 when she was selected as the founding dean of the School of Health Sciences in Marion. She became senior vice president in 2020 and interim president on Aug. 1, 2024, filling in for former President John W. Wells.

“Dr. Fincher’s leadership is rooted in collaboration,” said Gary Peacock, former chair of the Smyth County Community Foundation, the founding investor in the Emory & Henry School of Health Sciences, in a statement. “Whether she’s working with faculty, students or community partners, she brings people together around shared goals. That spirit has led to meaningful progress — not only in expanding academic programs at Emory & Henry but in strengthening partnerships with regional health care systems and deepening our role in the community.”

Fincher was instrumental in launching the Southwest Virginia Healthcare Excellence Academy Laboratory School (SWVA-HEALS). The first state-supported lab school in Virginia when it launched in 2024, the public lab school allows high school students to earn college credits while preparing for health care professions.

Before coming to Emory & Henry, Fincher served as professor and chair of the kinesiology department in the College of Education and Health Professions at the University of Texas at Arlington, and she was president and CEO of the Joe W. King Orthopedic Institute at the Texas Orthopedic Hospital.

Fincher holds a doctor of education degree with a focus on human performance studies from the University of Alabama, a master’s degree in education with a focus on athletic training from Indiana State University, and a bachelor’s degree from Stephen F. Austin State University.

Emory & Henry University was founded in 1836 and has two campus locations in Southwest Virginia and more than 90 academic fields of study. The oldest institution for higher learning in Southwest Virginia, its central campus location is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Historic Landmarks Register. Emory & Henry has 1,244 full-time students and 67 part-time students.