STORY BY Rick Woodall
When Berry seniors clasped hands last October for their final triumphant walk down Lavender Mountain, they brought along a very special guest – retiring President Steve Briggs.
The sight of a salt-and-pepper beard at the center of such a distinctly student tradition as the Grand March might have caused a few doubletakes among the Mountain Day crowd, but Briggs’ presence amid those smiling faces was appropriate, for they represent the motivation for 19 years of student-focused success.
It can be challenging to judge the legacy of any college president, especially one whose service spans nearly two decades. Countless decisions have been made, not all of which were met with immediate consensus or praise. Still, voices are consistent in their assessment that – to Berry’s great benefit – Briggs has led with students’ best interests at heart.
“That guided everything we did,” recounted Dr. Gary Waters (80C, 89G, FFS), vice president emeritus, whose service in advancement, as chief of staff and in enrollment management afforded many opportunities to work closely with Briggs. “It wasn’t about what other schools were doing and how we could catch up with them. What mattered was Berry’s DNA and how we could exhibit it better than we had in the past.”
Achieving that goal required a level of understanding only possible by engaging students on a personal basis – something Briggs prioritized from day one.
“The first thing I noticed was how intentional he was in trying to understand us as students,” noted Ryan Simmons (07C, 14G), Student Government Association president during Briggs’ inaugural year. “He really went out of his way to ask us questions and learn what we were experiencing.”
Often, those interactions have taken place in the dining hall or at other campus venues where Briggs routinely has joined wife Brenda in supporting students’ academic, artistic and athletic pursuits. Though she prefers to remain out of the spotlight, Brenda is a beloved member of the Berry community in her own right, known for her caring attention and engaging spirit, baked treats, and early morning workouts at the Cage Center. At one point, she even audited eight semesters of Spanish classes.
“We miss something incredibly important if we talk about the Briggs presidency without mentioning Brenda,” stressed Vice President Emerita Debbie Heida (FFS), who served as dean of students and later Briggs’ chief of staff. “They invite students into their home, welcome them into conversations and delight in the stories they’re sharing.”
Those interactions, coupled with Briggs’ extensive study of the school’s history, fueled his resolve to champion Berry’s “head, heart and hands” education, crafting a “journey” rich in the kind of firsthand experiences that already made the institution distinctive, all with the goal of helping students discover their best path forward.
“One of my early impressions of Dr. Briggs was his deep understanding of the mission, values and history of Martha Berry,” said Chief Operating Officer and Vice President for Finance Brian Erb, a cabinet member since 2003. “He seemed to really understand how our founding principles could be translated into current improvements and future planning.”
Under Briggs’ leadership, Berry has made significant strides in admissions, retention, campus vibrancy, facilities, academic programs, student work and athletics. At the same time, unprecedented fundraising success has led to the creation of hundreds of new scholarships, furthering access for hardworking students drawn by a reputation for excellence increasingly national in scope.
“The results speak for themselves,” praised Randy Berry, great-nephew of Martha Berry and a longtime trustee. “Aunt Martha was nothing if not results oriented, so I am sure she would give him an A-plus.”
Believer in Berry
From the beginning, Briggs has emphasized Berry’s principled distinctiveness, declaring in his inaugural address that the college would “realize its full potential and gain visibility by being Berry at its best.”
In Berry, he saw reflections of his own undergraduate education at Wake Forest University, where highly engaged mentors and meaningful out-of-class experiences shaped his desire to create similar opportunities for others. In him, others saw reflections of Berry.
“He’s a man of integrity,” lauded Rick Gilbert (77c), chair of the Berry Board of Trustees. “What he says is what he means. And if he changes his mind, he’ll be the first to tell you so.”
Briggs’ dedication to students has played out in ways big and small, from his desire to reinvigorate the work program – now called LifeWorks – to his delight in the moxie shown by those who covered his office in sticky notes.
“To me, that captured the best of Steve Briggs – his playfulness, his sense of humor, his love of students, his tolerance for a wee bit of mischief now and then, and his enormous pride in the students,” observed Secretary to the Board Emeritus and Trustee Whit Whitaker (81C, FFS), retired president of King University and former Berry chief of staff.
Meredith Lewallen Roberts (07C) glimpsed those qualities as a senior challenged by Briggs to race up a climbing wall while she was working at an event for first-year students. Later, she noted with appreciation that the new president and his wife were helping to clean up.
“I was impressed with his desire to truly connect and engage with students and his servant leadership,” said Roberts, now Alumni Council president and a trustee. “Both themes have been evident throughout his tenure.”
Picking the bricks
Many noted Briggs’ ability to operate both at a high level strategically and in the weeds when necessary, characterizing him as a “data wonk” and “micro-observer” who expects the same level of detail from others. Stories abound of his attention to the design of a college brochure or whether the bricks in Sisters Theatre matched those of Blackstone Hall, built a century earlier.
Motivated by a president who wryly describes his approach as “gentle pressure, relentlessly applied,” staff and faculty increasingly reach beyond traditional “silos” to tap the expertise of colleagues in other departments. Explained Chief Information Officer Penny Evans-Plants (90C): “His style encourages people to keep trying, even when we believe we’ve reached an impasse.”
Measurable results can be seen in such areas as enrollment management, where process improvements over time have led to a 32% increase in Berry’s undergraduate population, from 1,718 Briggs’ first year to 2,262 in fall 2024.
That same attention to detail extends to Berry’s mission. Throughout his presidency, Briggs has worked closely with partners on and off campus to better articulate the institution’s enduring values. These efforts have helped improve student retention by refining the college’s messaging to prospective students and their families while also defining what it means to “Be Berry” for a wide range of audiences.
“As an alumna, I appreciate that he has honored Berry’s rich heritage while moving us lightyears forward in reputation, programs, campus assets, community and preparedness for the future,” expressed Shannon Walburn Biggers (81C, FFS), creative services director emerita. “That’s a tough balance to strike, yet he did it.”
Sense of place
Briggs’ first visit to Berry sparked a reaction not unlike that of countless prospective students: “Oh my word! There’s a lot of opportunity here.”
Taking note of the “good bones” left by his predecessor, Dr. Scott Colley, whose many accomplishments included progress in strategic planning, fundraising, study abroad and growth among tenured faculty, the new president was able to focus on the broader student experience, with early emphasis on the campus community.
The results include astonishing growth in the residential population, which now accounts for more than 90% of all undergrads (the percentage was closer to two-thirds when he arrived). Factors driving this surge include a four-year residency requirement with select exceptions; additional housing capacity; a more dynamic student-life experience rooted in new strategies and funding for event programming; greater emphasis on outdoor recreation; growth in intercollegiate athletics; and a revitalized campus core centered around Krannert Center’s expanded dining areas, Kilpatrick Commons, and the Steven J. Cage Athletic and Recreation Center.
“When I was a student, the words ‘suitcase college’ were tossed around a lot,” recalled Cecily Crow (94C), who led Berry’s student activities office for two decades before assuming her current role as alumni relations director. “Even when I came back in 2002, a number of students still went home on weekends. Under Dr. Briggs’ leadership, we now have a more vibrant campus community.”
Great spaces
Berry also has undergone a renaissance in facilities – much of it funded by gifts from alumni and friends – leading to a 35% increase in square footage campuswide. Notable additions and renovations include the Cage Center; a new animal science building and supporting field laboratory; Sisters Theatre at Blackstone Hall; the Betty Anne Rouse Bell Recital Hall at historic Ford Auditorium; the Valhalla stadium complex; Christopher Browning Pavilion at Oak Hill; Morgan and Deerfield residence halls; HackBerry Lab; Kay Williams Field for softball; a campus welcome center; and Morgan-Bailey Hall for health sciences, now under construction.
“Buildings make a big difference to student experiences,” said Dr. John Grout, chair of management and entrepreneurship and former dean of the Campbell School of Business. “I think one of Dr. Briggs’ biggest contributions is his relentless focus on physical facilities and aesthetic design. His master planning and the unprecedented pursuit of new buildings and their funding have transformed the campus.”
Also of note are The Spires at Berry College retirement community (occupying the site of a former quarry) and the Rome Tennis Center at Berry College and adjacent Fairfield Inn, located across U.S. Highway 27 near Mount Berry Mall. Developed in collaboration with external partners, these projects have yielded fresh opportunities for students and additional revenue streams for the college.
Experiential learning
Work program participation has surged during Briggs’ tenure. More than 90% of all undergrads now seek out paid experience through a LifeWorks-affiliated position at some point during their Berry years, flourishing within a conceptual framework emphasizing the personal and professional development of all students, not just those with financial need. Examples of progress include increasing levels of responsibility and experience; student-operated enterprises; the work-based Gate of Opportunity Scholarship; and off-campus work partnerships.
“These programs have been studied and used as models by many other institutions,” remarked Dean of Student Work Emeritus Rufus Massey (75C, FFS). “The experiences available to our students include opportunities to lead, contribute, make decisions, speak publicly and learn real-world skills transferable to any career.”
The benefits are evidenced by the 85% of graduation survey respondents who identify LifeWorks as one of their most significant learning experiences at Berry.
More so than ever, lessons learned on the job complement those taught in classrooms and laboratories as part of an expanding curriculum that now includes creative technologies, creative writing, nursing, environmental science and studies, exercise science, sport leadership and strategy, data analytics, and One Health, among other additions. A new graduate-level physician associate program launches in 2025.
Further augmenting students’ knowledge and skills are growing opportunities available through study abroad, internships, undergraduate research and service, along with new donor-funded initiatives including the Berry Center for Integrity in Leadership and the Center for Student Enterprises and Entrepreneurship Development.
“At the heart of the Berry mission is the whole-person education of the head, heart and hands,” said Provost and Professor of Spanish David Slade (97C). “Dr. Briggs has fortified this mission, and we can see it in the new programs that have launched over the past 19 years as well as in how we have enhanced programs in the humanities, arts, sciences and professional fields.”
Fields of study
Briggs’ impact also extends to intercollegiate athletics. Berry now fields 22 varsity teams, 10 of which have been added during his tenure (including equestrian, a former club sport). Approximately 500 students compete annually, excelling in sports with a long history at the college as well as recent additions such as football, which debuted to 6,700 fans at Rome’s Barron Stadium in 2013 and now draws thousands to Valhalla each fall.
Demonstrating the same eye toward big-picture strategy and ground-level details evident in other areas, Briggs’ involvement in athletics extends beyond on-campus planning to include formation of the Southern Athletic Association, Berry’s move to NCAA Division III and policymaking at the national level. In January 2025, his commitment to fostering athletic and academic excellence earned him the Daniel T. Dutcher Meritorious Service Award from the D-III Commissioners Association.
“Dr. Briggs is an exceptional leader who truly values the impact of athletics on a residential campus,” said Dr. Angel Mason, Berry’s director of athletics since 2019. “There are not many presidents who invest as deeply as he does not only in the students, but also in the coaches who make such a positive difference in their lives.”
Berry’s holistic approach to athletic participation proved ideal for Tedric Palmer (17C), the first of three brothers to play football for the Vikings. Drawn by the opportunity to help launch the program, he experienced the lows of a winless season and the highs of an SAA championship while earning the respect and trust of teammates and fellow students, culminating in service as SGA president.
“The experience at Berry of building something from the ground up is something I use in conversations in my job today,” the executive recruiter related. “It takes time and a deliberate commitment to build a culture of winning.”
Wider Gate
The upward trajectory in fundraising that began during Colley’s presidency accelerated under Briggs, to the tune of more than $261 million in funding for everything from new buildings to the signature Gate of Opportunity Scholarship program, which annually supports more than 120 industrious students willing to work their way through Berry with the goal of graduating with little or no debt. In the process, recipients benefit from the encouragement of their close-knit scholarship cohort and the mentorship of faculty, staff and donors.
“Abundant mentors are a hallmark of Berry’s community under President Briggs’ leadership,” said Mahmood Abdellatif (19C), a former Gate Scholar now working as an attorney. “For first-generation Americans and college students like me, this mentoring culture filled many gaps.”
Such is the fruit of relationships forged over many years between the college and its supporters. Briggs has excelled in nurturing such connections, leading to some of the most transformational gifts in Berry history.
Take for example Audrey B. Morgan, whose commitments to Berry exceed $26 million, most coming during his presidency. More than 200 current students are supported by her generosity, including 29 in the Gate Program, the origins of which trace to notes Briggs scribbled on a napkin during a 2008 luncheon with Morgan.
“Dr. Briggs was the right man at the right time,” she declared. “He relates to everyone. He’s good with the students. He’s good with the administration. He’s good with the board. I think he’s done an outstanding job for Berry.”
Legacy of leadership
There is great consensus that Berry will continue to thrive in the years ahead, due in large measure to the mission-centric progress Briggs has fostered with his laser-focus on students.
“The value of the Berry brand is stronger than ever and on a solid growth trajectory,” asserted Vice President of Enrollment Management Andy Bressette. “Yet we remain focused on reaching students for whom a Berry education will be transformational. Helping them attend, afford and thrive is our North Star.”
Admitting to getting “choked up” reflecting on Briggs’ many accomplishments, Dean of Students Lindsey Taylor offered a fitting epitaph for his presidency: “I guess his most lasting legacy is the fact that he has fulfilled Martha Berry’s challenge to each of us, leaving Berry more beautiful than when he found it.”
Help for the Journey
When asked what he and wife Brenda would like to accomplish in their final year at Berry, retiring President Steve Briggs pointed to continued growth in the type of opportunities proven to enrich and enhance the lives of students. These Purposeful Experiences include study abroad, service or mission trips, mentored research projects, and professional internships.
To honor that request, a new Purposeful Experiences Fund has been created with the goal of empowering students to pursue such opportunities by removing the financial barriers that might stand in their way. You can join other alumni and friends in supporting this endeavor by visiting alwaysberry.com/briggspef.
