黑料专区

The Rev. Dr. David C. Joyce 鈥�75 will step down as President of  in December. He has held that post since 2012 and feels now that the time is right to retire, having also served as President of  (2003-2011) and  (1996-2003). He holds multiple advanced degrees, including a M.Div. from Yale University (1978); a M.S. in Psychology from N.C. State University (1988); and an Ed.D. in Human Resource Development from Vanderbilt University (1995).

As his聽聽at Brevard College demonstrates, Joyce鈥檚 fundraising experience solidified his reputation as a leader adept at turning around financially challenged institutions while underwriting their capital and other needs. All told, he has worked in higher education for more than 40 years. His only departure from higher education happened in the early 1990s, when he directed an $8 million campaign for congregational development organized by the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Joyce and his wife, Lynne, will remain in Brevard. In addition to traveling and mountain biking, they are looking forward to spending more time with their daughter, Anna Bracco, their son-in-law Nicolas, and their grandsons, Lucas and William.

No matter what he does next, Joyce will likely never retire from advocating for small liberal arts colleges. As a first-generation college student at Pfeiffer, he knows first-hand the value proposition of a high-touch educational experience. In the years following his graduation from Pfeiffer in 1975, he worked at the college in multiple capacities, including College Minister (1981-1985) and VP of Advancement (1985-1989).

鈥淭here鈥檚 a distinction that small liberal arts colleges bring to the landscape of higher education,鈥� Joyce said. 鈥淭hey exemplify the positive impact a highly personalized education can have on students and the community.

Lynne, who has always served as a partner during my presidencies, and I have dedicated our lives to this sector. We will always treasure the time we devoted to this endeavor.鈥�

Pfeiffer occupies a special place in Joyce鈥檚 heart. That鈥檚 because he benefited from its liberal arts approach as a student 鈥� and because the college paved the way for him to rise to the highest rank in college administration.

Before Pfeiffer was on Joyce鈥檚 radar, he was a self-proclaimed military brat, moving with his family to a different location each time his Marine stepfather was transferred to a new duty station. The transfers became so frequent that Joyce attended five high schools in as many locations.

Joyce never stayed at one high school long enough for anyone to recognize his potential. A guidance counselor at a high school he attended near Camp LeJeune even told him that he wasn鈥檛 college material.

The Rev. Tommy Faggart 鈥�60 鈥� a pastor at nearby Swansboro (N.C.) United Methodist Church, where Joyce was attending 鈥� couldn鈥檛 have disagreed more when he learned of that assessment. Remembering his own Pfeiffer College experience, he sensed that Joyce would excel at the school as well. So, on the way to a family reunion in Kannapolis, Faggart dropped Joyce off at Pfeiffer鈥檚 Misenheimer campus for a weekend visit.

Joyce was so taken with the school that he applied at once and was accepted. 鈥淚 was so excited to get in that I never looked back,鈥� he said.

Joyce said that he 鈥渏umped into Pfeiffer with both feet鈥� as a psychology major who also played soccer, participated in student government, and worked both on campus and at a church in Oakboro. The school loved him back in just about every way that mattered: While Joyce got into trouble for debating a teacher in high school, for example, he found that such behavior at Pfeiffer was both accepted and encouraged. He debated Rev. Dr. Phil Pharr 鈥�61, a professor of religion and philosophy, during one of Pharr鈥檚 classes. Pharr invited him to come back to his office and discuss the issue further.

鈥淚 thought, 鈥楾his is not going to go down well,鈥欌�� Joyce recalled. 鈥淵et, when I sat down with Phil in his office, he kept saying, 鈥楧avid, that鈥檚 what college is all about. By debating me, you鈥檙e giving other students permission to take me on, too.鈥� After that, I realized that鈥檚 what education is about: interaction and challenge. I thought, 鈥業 love college.鈥欌��

Pharr and Joyce would become close friends through the years. The professor served as Joyce鈥檚 best man when he married Lynne, and later, Joyce officiated Pharr鈥檚 wedding.

鈥淎 close friend of Lynne鈥檚, Shelia Thompson, who worked in the Business Office at Pfeiffer at the time, set Lynne and me up on a blind date,鈥� Joyce said. 鈥淪he later served as Lynne鈥檚 Matron of Honor at our wedding in the Henry Pfeiffer Chapel. You just can鈥檛 make this stuff up!鈥�

While Joyce was attending Pfeiffer, he aspired to become a United Methodist minister. He applied to and was accepted by Yale Divinity School, where he earned an M.Div. in 1978.

Dr. Robert 鈥淔red鈥� West, a Yale alumnus who taught Joyce鈥檚 Pfeiffer history class, encouraged him to attend his alma mater. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 have the good sense to think, 鈥極h, you can鈥檛 go to an Ivy League school (because) you have no money and you come from a school that not a lot of people have heard of,鈥欌�� Joyce said.

Following his graduation from Yale, Joyce landed an administrative position at Elon College, where he fell in love with higher ed administration, still dreaming of becoming a college minister.

So, when Pfeiffer offered him the position of College Minister in 1981, he jumped at the opportunity. He not only officiated campus services but also had teaching and counseling responsibilities.

Joyce鈥檚 duties at Pfeiffer kept expanding. In time, they came to include traveling with Dr. Cameron West, Pfeiffer鈥檚 President from 1978 until 1988, to fundraising appointments because West had undergone eye surgery and was unable to drive. 鈥淎 couple of times, he said, 鈥榃ell, David, why don鈥檛 you go visit this donor as you鈥檝e already met him/her. Just say we need you to make this gift,鈥� Joyce said.

In 1985, President West appointed Joyce Pfeiffer鈥檚 VP of Advancement, and he relinquished the duties of college minister and most of his teaching responsibilities.

Graduates of liberal arts colleges are known for knowing how to learn and how to adapt.  With the help of a consultant and West鈥檚 mentorship, Joyce learned the craft of fundraising in a hurry, from putting together a feasibility study for a comprehensive campaign to running one. The campaign鈥檚 goal, the largest in Pfeiffer history at the time, was $11 million. 鈥淲e blew through that goal鈥�and then some,鈥� Joyce said.

For Joyce, 鈥渨e鈥� is an important word. He has always valued a team effort, especially as he assumed, over the course of his career, the presidency of three colleges. Just ask his wife, Lynne.

Lynne grew up in Stanly County. She comes from a family of many Pfeiffer graduates. Like David, she views Dr. West and his wife Grace, also deceased, as important mentors. The Wests demonstrated how effective the 鈥渃ouple in partnership鈥� model could be for a college presidency.

Over the years, Lynne, in addition to owning a leadership consulting business, has been David鈥檚 partner as a volunteer for many duties tied to the presidencies he has held.  As a facilitator for a Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) program for presidential spouses and partners, she has regularly passed on much of what she鈥檚 learned. In fact, Shannon Bullard, the spouse of Dr. Scott Bullard, Pfeiffer鈥檚 current president, is one of the latest beneficiaries of Lynne鈥檚 willingness to pass on the wisdom that she gleaned from her experiences. The Bullards 鈥� along with dozens of other couples 鈥� participated in the CIC鈥檚 seminar for new presidents and their spouses in January 2020.

鈥淒avid and I have always partnered because it works for us,鈥� Lynne said. 鈥淲e love making a difference in the lives of students.鈥�

Rev. Dr. Cam West, the son of former Pfeiffer President West, has a special understanding of Joyce鈥檚 career contributions and his love for Pfeiffer. Now a colleague, as President of Huntingdon College, the younger West was also one of Joyce鈥檚 classmates at Yale Divinity School. He recalled his father telling him that Joyce 鈥渓oved Pfeiffer greatly.鈥�

鈥淭hat made David a highly effective development officer for the college,鈥� West said.

鈥淢y career has been a ministry for empowering students to make a positive difference in the world,鈥� Joyce noted. 鈥淔or 25 years, I have told students that 鈥榗ommencement is not the end of your story, it is the beginning.鈥� I see my retirement in the same light.鈥�

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Ken Keuffel, who authored this article, has served as Pfeiffer鈥檚 Assistant Director of Communications since December 2019. He welcomes story ideas from Pfeiffer鈥檚 faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends. The form for submitting story ideas is at Story Idea/News Item Request Form.