Following twelve years of leadership as president of Warner Pacific College, Dr. Jay A. Barber has announced his retirement, effective May 31, 2008. Barber will continue to work as a consultant to the college during the search for new leadership for the southeast Portland-based Christian liberal arts college.  Barber accepted the Warner Pacific presidency in 1996, after having served as the Director of the Oregon Health Sciences University Foundation between 1988 and 1996.

The Warner Pacific Board of Trustees named Dr. Andrea P. Cook, the college’s Vice President for Institutional Advancement, as interim president pending a national search for Barber’s successor.  The trustees also named Jay Barber President Emeritus in recognition of his service to the college during his tenure. 

During Barber’s presidency, Warner Pacific achieved significant milestones, including the re-institution of intercollegiate athletics, the assembling of a talented leadership team, establishing the strategic vision for the future of the college, the launch of the college’s Adult Degree Program in 2003, initiating plans for development of a new urban studies program, the retirement of institutional debt in 2007, restructuring of tuition and financial aid in 2008 that resulted in a 23% reduction in the cost of tuition and fees for 2008-09, and the start of a $5.5 million campus commons project on the college’s main campus this spring.

Warner Pacific ranked #11 among western region baccalaureate colleges by U. S. News & World Report magazine’s 2008 “America’s Best Colleges” edition. Warner Pacific offers 24 baccalaureate majors and six graduate degrees.