The Board of Trustees elected Garry W. Jenkins as the the ninth president of Bates, the college announced on Wednesday. Jenkins will officially step into the role on July 1 of this year.

The appointment comes after news of President Clayton Spencer’s retirement from the position at the end of this academic year. Spencer is leaving after 11 years at Bates.

A representative from the college informed The Student that Jenkins will be the first Black president in the college’s history after being unanimously selected by both the college’s search committee and the Board of Trustees.

“I am overjoyed to join the Bates community as the college’s next president,” Jenkins said in the announcement. “Bates is a remarkable institution that is exceptionally well-positioned for the future.”

Jenkins was selected from a highly competitive group of applicants in a months-long search for President Spencer’s replacement, according to the college’s press release. Currently, he is the dean and William S. Pattee Professor of Law at the University of Minnesota Law School. He graduated from Haverford College in 1992, and he currently serves on Haverford’s Board of Managers. Additionally, Jenkins holds a Masters in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School and a J.D from Harvard Law School. 

Students will receive more information about meeting with Jenkins in the coming weeks.