Columbia College’s next president will start March 1 and describes it as an amazing opportunity.
The Board of Trustees has named Dr. Toby Arquette as the school’s 19th president. Dr. Arquette, who currently serves as vice president at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, will succeed retiring president Dr. David Russell. Dr. Arquette tells 939 the Eagle he looks forward to leading Columbia College into its 175th anniversary and beyond:
“It’s a really exciting chance to be there at a time when Columbia (College) is now reimagining itself as it moves into the next 175 years,” Dr. Arquette says.
He was chosen from a field of more than 100 applicants. A search committee interviewed nine candidates in November, and four finalists visited the main campus in December.
Columbia College’s next president describes the historic college and the community as breathtaking. Dr. Arquette tells 939 the Eagle that he knew immediately when he visited campus in December this is the place:
“The people are so incredibly nice, so welcoming … that I knew the moment I was there with my spouse that this is where I want to be. We both came away frankly thinking I hope they offer us this opportunity because this is exactly where we see ourselves living for the next couple of decades,” he says.
Columbia College, which was founded in 1851, will celebrate its 175th anniversary in 2026. Columbia College associate professor Gina Singleton describes Dr. Arquette as articulate and thoughtful.