Student-centered. That is the phrase colleagues and students often use to refer to Dr. Anthony Leigh, who became the 15th President of Huntingdon College on July 1, 2024.  Although he is new to his role as President, Dr. Leigh has been a member of the College administration since 2009 and most recently served as Senior Vice President for Student and Institutional Development and Dean of Students.

“I am amazed at how he knows every student,” stated former SGA President Blake Smith ’25.  “He is a fixture at campus events. He’s truly passionate about Huntingdon, and he’s always willing to help a Huntingdon student.”

 “Huntingdon students have no greater advocate than Dr. Anthony Leigh,” noted Cathy Wolfe, who has worked closely with Dr. Leigh in the Office of College and Alumni Relations since he arrived at Huntingdon.  “He genuinely cares about Huntingdon people, and he is the ultimate ambassador for Huntingdon College.  No one bleeds scarlet and grey more than he does.”

In making the announcement of the appointment of Dr. Leigh to serve as President, Leura Canary ’78, the chair of the Huntingdon Board of Trustees stated, “Dr. Anthony Leigh has demonstrated an unmatched passion and enthusiasm for serving Huntingdon students. He is a gifted administrator, and he clearly understands the internal operations of the College and effectively communicates the mission of the College to external constituencies. 

He is deeply respected and admired by students, faculty, staff, alumni, trustees, and across his vast network of contacts. For 15 years, he has been an integral part of the success of President West’s leadership, and we are confident that he is the leader Huntingdon needs to propel the College to its next chapter of excellence and to champion the Heart of Huntingdon campaign.”

“I am humbled and honored by the opportunity to serve as the 15th President of Huntingdon College,” stated Dr. Leigh.  “I’ve had a front row seat to the transformational experience a Huntingdon education offers our students.  Huntingdon changes lives.  Thanks to our outstanding faculty and staff, Huntingdon graduates are prepared to be difference makers in the communities and in the career fields in which they serve.  Some of the finest people I know are Huntingdon alumni, and the world is a better place because of the lives of service of Huntingdon women and men. 

The College enjoys a respected reputation across Alabama and beyond, and I am maximizing opportunities to celebrate and advance the greatness of the Huntingdon experience around the region.  Serving Huntingdon students fuels me, and this new role gives me tremendous leverage to engage the resources of our alumni and friends for the benefit of our exceptional student body.”

Dr. Leigh is a Sheffield, Alabama native and a cum laude graduate of Wofford College in South Carolina where he received a bachelor’s degree in government and served as president of the student body.  He completed a master’s degree in philanthropy and development from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, and a doctorate in higher education management from the University of Georgia.

He is a member of Montgomery First United Methodist Church and also attends Frazer Church.  He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Business Council of Alabama, and is the Chairman of the Committee on the Episcopacy for the Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church.  He has previously served as Chairman of the Advisory Board of Baptist Medical Center East, and on the Board of Directors of the Montgomery Rotary Club. 

His wife, Wendy, is a retired educator who devoted 23 years of service to Elmore County schools and four years in Georgia.  They have an eight-year-old daughter, Carey Mae, who enjoys going to Huntingdon women’s athletic events with Dr. Leigh.