It’s time. With a short and simple phrase, Belmont University President Dr. Bob Fisher announced yesterday to the Board of Trustees his intent to retire in May 2021 following more than two decades of service to the Nashville institution. A visionary and innovator in higher education, Fisher’s tenure is marked by Belmont’s phenomenal growth, dramatic rise in national prominence, dedication to student success and an extraordinary commitment to what he calls “the greatest privilege in life, serving someone else.”
“In my inauguration speech in 2000, I remarked that Belmont was a really good university, but then went on rather boldly to quote Bachman-Turner Overdrive to say ‘but you ain’t seen nothin’ yet,’” Fisher recalled. “What has been accomplished by our leadership team, our staff, our faculty and especially our students has exceeded anything we could have imagined. My overwhelming response to all that’s been accomplished is a deep sense of gratitude. I’m thankful for the incredibly smart and talented people on this campus who approach their work with great enthusiasm, effort and dedication, as well as for the tremendously supportive Board of Trustees who have stood with me all these years. Without a doubt, my wife Judy and I have been so blessed to be a part of Belmont—we are Bruins for life.”
Belmont’s Board of Trustees, under the direction of Chairman Marty Dickens, will immediately begin the process of seeking the University’s next president, anticipating a summer 2021 start date. Details on the search team and timeline will be announced at a future time.
Dickens said, “There is no question that Bob Fisher will leave big shoes to fill. He has consistently outperformed all expectations, and his tireless commitment to Belmont University is simply unmatched. I speak for the entire Board in thanking him for a job exceptionally well done. He leaves Belmont far better than he found it, and this University’s next president will inherit an institution poised for a dynamic future. Belmont has been blessed greatly by the contributions of Bob and his wife Judy, and I congratulate them on their upcoming well-deserved retirement.”
