A message from the Chair of the Board of Trustees

This message is sent on behalf of Jeanne Whitman Bobbitt (’79, MBA ’87), Chair, Wake Forest University Board of Trustees.

Dear Wake Forest community:

In one of her first addresses to the Wake Forest Board of Trustees and in other early remarks to a variety of constituencies, President Wente spoke of the importance of universities as among a handful of cultural institutions that hold and further the advances of humanity.  She has told the story of being shaped by her education and academic experience, and she speaks with passion of the importance of that opportunity for others.  Consistent with her extraordinary dedication to higher education and to Wake Forest, President Wente raised the subject of succession planning at Wake Forest with Board leadership and we deliberated with her in earnest. Her ultimate decision to conclude her presidency at the end of June 2026 is a result of her thoughtful focus on the importance of timing and momentum in the life of institutions, and of course her devotion to the future of Wake Forest. 

President Wente has embarked on the fifth year of her presidency with a significant list of accomplishments. She has led the University in grappling with and putting structure around the issues that will challenge and define higher education, including athletics, for the next decade. In addition, she led the planning for investing in and prioritization of signature university projects; launched the transformation of a languishing University asset now known as The Grounds, securing significant support from the state and the city; established a re-commitment to academic space in the heart of the campus and, at the same time, an expansion of the footprint of the campus; and enrolled Wake Forest School of Medicine’s first class at the Charlotte campus—among a long list of achievements.

On behalf of the Wake Forest Board of Trustees, I extend our gratitude for President Wente’s leadership in a tumultuous time in higher education and for her effective positioning of the University for the challenges ahead. Her steadfast commitment to our students, faculty and staff is applauded and deeply appreciated.  And we are most fortunate to have her dedicated leadership through next June.  

I am grateful to each one of you for the ways I know you will support each other and Dr. Wente for the next nine months.  In the next week or so, I will share more with you about the pathway forward, but for now, please join me in celebrating and thanking our President.

Sincerely yours, 

Jeanne Whitman Bobbitt (’79, MBA ’87)
Chair, Wake Forest University Board of Trustees