Lisa Sutherland has been appointed as interim president of Jacksonville University. | JU
Published on October 28, 2025 at 3:20 pm
Free local news and info, in your inbox at 6 a.m. M-F. Sign up for the Jacksonville Today newsletter.
Lisa Sutherland has been appointed as interim president of Jacksonville University, taking over the 91-year-old private school in Arlington when current President Tim Cost becomes school chancellor July 1.
Sutherland will move into the position after three months as JU’s interim dean of the Davis College of Business and Technology and executive director of the Cost Honors College since her arrival at the school in 2023.
Jacksonville Today thanks our sponsors. Become one.
In a statement from the university, Sutherland said that she is grateful for the trust the board has placed in her.
“Jacksonville University is a remarkable institution, and our strength lies in its students, faculty, and staff — all united by a shared drive to shape the future,” she said. “Together, we’ll build on our strong foundation, advance our strategic goals, and ensure every student experiences the life-changing education that defines JU.”
Sutherland’s resume
Sutherland earned her doctorate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she also completed a postdoctoral fellowship at UNC’s Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Jacksonville Today thanks our sponsors. Become one.
She has more than 20 years of experience across higher education and the corporate sector, including founding and leading the Sutherland Group consulting firm, whose clients included Walmart Inc., Papa John’s and Kraft-Heinz.
She also served as chief nutrition adviser to Walmart’s executive team and led the company’s healthier food initiative in collaboration with first lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” campaign.
Since her arrival at JU, Sutherland has refined its honors program into a college that serves more than 450 students and co-chaired the university’s 2030 Strategic Plan, officials said.
JU board Chair John Miller said the board is grateful to have a leader of Sutherland’s caliber to guide Jacksonville University during this transition.
“Her unique combination of academic expertise and executive experience, along with her demonstrated success in multiple leadership roles at JU, positions her to provide the steady, strategic leadership our institution needs,” he said in the university’s news release.
Cost announced his transition last week, after serving as president for 14 years. He agreed with the board of turstees in 2022 to become chancellor to focus on partnerships, fundraising, alumni, community and government relations, he said.
