Limestone University Board Of Trustees Accepts Resignation Of Interim President; Jeremy Whitaker Named Acting President

The Limestone University Board of Trustees has accepted the resignation of Dr. Monica Baloga, as Interim President, effective immediately.

In a message to the campus community on Wednesday, Sept. 6, Board of Trustees Chair Randall L. Richardson announced that with Baloga’s departure, Vice President for Finance & Administration Jeremy Whitaker is now serving as Acting President until such time the Board of Trustees names a replacement Interim President and ultimately a full-time President.

“We appreciate all that Dr. Baloga contributed during her time at Limestone as Provost, Acting President, and Interim President,” Richardson said. “Mr. Whitaker is passionately committed to Limestone and cares deeply about the Gaffney, Blacksburg, and Cherokee County communities. We are extremely thankful to him for stepping in as our Acting President during this vitally important time. We know he will do a tremendous job. While we are certainly facing some challenges due to the changing landscape of higher education, coupled with the aftereffects of the coronavirus pandemic, we are committed to positioning Limestone for a brighter future.”

A native and resident of Blacksburg, Whitaker earned his Bachelor of Science in accounting from Limestone in 2008 and completed his Master of Accounting at Gardner-Webb University in 2011. A 2004 graduate of Blacksburg High School, Whitaker is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Fraud Examiner, and Certified Internal Controls Auditor.

While studying at Limestone, Whitaker interned at the Cline, Brandt, Kochenower & Co. CPA firm in Gaffney, which led to a full-time position as Staff Accountant in 2008. After a promotion to Senior Accountant at the firm, Whitaker moved to Milliken & Co. in Spartanburg as Corporate Accounting Supervisor in 2013.

Whitaker returned to Limestone as its Business Office Controller in 2018 and served in that role until he went on to Winthrop University where he served as Associate Vice President for Finance and Business for two years. Whitaker was tabbed as Limestone’s Associate Vice President for Finance & Administration in March of this year and was then elevated to Vice President for Finance & Administration in July.

“As we work through this period of transition in leadership, our outstanding students, faculty, staff, and overall Limestone community remain our top priorities. Together, we will set a course for remarkable growth and success,” Richardson noted. “We are excited to identify the next leader at Limestone who will work enthusiastically with our Board of Trustees and campus community to take Limestone to greater heights in the coming years.”

Following the resignation of former President Dr. Darrell Parker in January of 2023, Baloga was named Acting President and then Interim President in February. She became Limestone’s Provost in February of 2020, after leaving her previous position as Senior Vice President for Academic Administration at the Florida Institute of Technology.