University of North Texas System chancellor retiring after 15 years
University of North Texas System Chancellor Lee Jackson will retire at the end of 2017 after 15 years on the job.
Jackson, a former Dallas County judge, was appointed in 2002 by the university system’s board of regents after then-Chancellor Alfred Hurley announced he was stepping down.
It has been a great privilege to lead the UNT System team ... I have especially enjoyed the energy and excitement that come from a constant flow of students striving for success in a growing region.
University of North Texas System Chancellor Lee Jackson said in announcing his retirement at the end of this year
During Jackson’s tenure, the UNT system expanded from two campuses to four, and as of last fall, more than 40,000 students were enrolled there.
“It has been a great privilege to lead the UNT System team, our board and our three campuses in service to the North Texas region,” Jackson said in a statement Thursday announcing his retirement. “I have especially enjoyed the energy and excitement that come from a constant flow of students striving for success in a growing region.”
Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings congratulated Jackson and thanked him for his service in a statement Thursday, saying Jackson has been a “thoughtful and respected elected official and university leader” in the North Texas community for more than 40 years.
Prior to becoming the system’s chancellor, Jackson was a Dallas County judge for 15 years, with stints in the Texas House of Representatives and the Dallas city manager’s office before that.
Born in Austin, Jackson graduated from Duke University with a bachelor’s in political science. He earned a master’s in public administration from Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
The search for Jackson’s successor will begin immediately, and a new chancellor will be announced in the coming months, the system said. Jackson’s contract with UNT ends at the end of August, but he will continue serving until his replacement is named.
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This story was originally published March 9, 2017 at 1:36 PM with the headline "University of North Texas System chancellor retiring after 15 years."