Message from President Tracy Parkinson – June 1, 2026

June 1, 2026

June 2, 2026

Dear MHU,

I am writing this on Sunday evening after having spent the weekend in Charlotte alongside President Tony Floyd, and it was a great Mars Hill weekend.

We attended the South Atlantic Conference annual meeting, where Tony led presidents’ council meetings and presided at the annual SAC Hall of Fame induction banquet. Two of the five inductees for the Hall of Fame Class of 2026 were MHU Lions, Coach Tim Clifton and alum Que Tucker, who serves as commissioner of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association. Not only did we have two outstanding inductees, but the banquet room was full of MHU staff, faculty, and alumni, all there to support them.

The next night, we hosted an alumni and friends event that filled another room with people who love MHU. We even ran into Lions between the two events. Tony and I ran into two graduates from the class of 2025, one living and working in Charlotte, and the other visiting from Charleston, SC. By the time the weekend was over, we had seen four Board of Trustees members, two President’s Advisory Council members, and at least 40 alums—ranging from class of 1966 to class of 2025. Every one of them showed a special sense of pride in MHU, a dear connection to the place and the people they met at Mars Hill, and a sincere willingness to support our university. In fact, I could not have asked for a better weekend to affirm that Mars Hill has been and must continue to be a place that does remarkable things.

Now, as we turn the page to June, the summer will be full.

We are fortunate to have secured funding for several improvement projects on campus.

• If you are on campus, you will see that the next stage of work on Lunsford Commons at the Upper Quad is underway. This will include replacing older sidewalks, renovating stairs at the Sunken Garden and Spilman Hall, updates to lighting, and improvements to correct drainage and water flow around the museum.
• Moore Fine Arts Building is getting a new roof, which is a key step in the long-term health of the building and the auditorium. Not only does the auditorium at Moore host multiple MHU events, but it is also a key resource for our community, In May alone, the auditorium hosted at least four community events for community partners running from dance studios to Madison County Schools.
• The porch at Wren is set to be repaired over the summer, so that it can be returned to use this fall. One of the best views on campus is from the Wren porches, looking toward the fields and Bailey Mountain.
• Renovation work at Harrell Pool is moving quickly, and we also hope to have that completed by the fall. Much like the auditorium, the pool is a vital university asset that also plays a key role in the community, hosting swim lessons, birthday parties, high school and club teams, and programs for adults in the community.

We will have a few quiet days, then the campus will be busy all summer, starting with First Friday and youth soccer clinics. The soccer clinics and the Blue Ridge Old-Time Music Festival will be the first of over two dozen camps and events over the next 9 weeks, bringing guests to the university, the town, and the county throughout the summer. Among many others, we will see the first ever Bailey Mountain International Folk Festival and two more Lion Life orientations. Meanwhile, MHU will also be well-represented away from campus, ranging from student interns, to faculty at character education and teaching and learning seminars, to BMC performing in Germany. We will also have seven more alumni and friends events this summer, as schools like MHU need the support of their alumni and friends now more than ever.

As we turn to June 1, I would like to express again my admiration and appreciation for Tony Floyd’s leadership. He was a Mountain Lion through and through while we were in Charlotte this weekend, just like he has been since he arrived at MHU in 2018.

It is a privilege to serve MHU in any capacity, because this university matters. Dozens of alumni reminded me this weekend just how much it matters. I heard story after story about how the place and its people made a difference for them when they were students.

Nichole, Abigail, Adkins, and I are so very grateful to be part of this campus community. It is an honor beyond measure to work for you as Mars Hill’s 23rd president, and I am committed to relentlessly pursuing the best for our university and its mission.

Roll Hill!

tsp