Mary Baldwin University names Gary Daynes as new interim president

Mary Baldwin University has named Gary Daynes its interim president, with the school’s Board of Trustees approving a two-year term for Daynes, per a press release issued on Wednesday.

Daynes will be MBU’s third leader in three years. He will succeed Todd Telemaco, who announced in January his intent to step down, citing family and personal reasons, though Telemaco agreed to remain on until the end of the academic year in June to “ensure continuity through the end of the academic year and support the transition ahead.”

Telemaco himself had succeeded Jeff Stein, who was installed as president in 2024, but abruptly left the position in August, just two weeks into the fall semester.

Daynes will take over as president at Mary Baldwin on July 1.

The moves come among an extended period of tumult at MBU, founded in 1842 as an all-female school, before going co-ed in 2017.

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ICYMI: Mary Baldwin University archives

• ‘Honored and humbled’: Mary Baldwin University names Dr. Jeff Stein as 10th president
• Mary Baldwin University president resigns: Jeff Stein had been on the job just two years
• Staunton: President of Mary Baldwin University resigns, some academic minors restored

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The university ran a $3.9 million operating loss in 2024, and faced a debt load at at approximately $18.8 million, with loans being secured by a deed of trust and real property.

Daynes comes to Mary Baldwin from Salem Academy and College in Winston-Salem, N.C., where he is that school’s interim president.

Prior to Salem, Daynes served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Barton College in Wilson, N.C., from 2013 to 2021.

As co-founder of Back Porch Consulting with his wife, Kristine, he has advised more than 20 independent colleges on strategy, program design and financial sustainability.

Daynes is also the author of How to Be a Small College (Manuscripts Press, 2025).

“Dr. Gary Daynes will be a relatable and engaging leader for the MBU community. His stellar listening style puts people at ease, and his ability to create a sense of comfort encourages them to open up,” said Eloise Chandler ’77, co-chair of the MBU Board of Trustees.

“Mary Baldwin has a proud history of steadfast commitment to mission and the capacity for innovation,” said Constance Dierickx, who serves as co-chair of the Board with Chandler. “Dr. Daynes shares our commitment to meeting the needs of today’s students and an understanding that doing so requires innovative adaptation. We are grateful he has accepted our offer to join us at this consequential time, and the Board stands fully behind him.”

“There is no more important work in American higher education than the work that goes on at Mary Baldwin University,” Daynes said. “MBU’s commitment to its actual students and their communities ensures both the education and well-being of those students, and the strengthening of the communities they serve. Their success ensures Mary Baldwin’s success in the future. I am grateful to have the opportunity to work with MBU’s students, staff, faculty, board, and friends. Kristine and I look forward to joining the community in July.”