Girard College names interim president

The Board of City Trusts has named Clarence D. Armbrister the 17th President of Girard College in the school’s 164-year history.

According to a statement released by the school, Armbrister will take the reins as Girard College “maps a strategy to deal with financial and operational challenges that have buffeted the institution in the wake of the economic recession.”

Armbrister is a native of Florida and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan Law School. He is a former chief of staff to Mayor Michael Nutter and former chief operating officer at Temple University. He has also served as the managing director of the Philadelphia School District

His two-year term will begin on July 1, following Autumn Graves, who will officially step down on June 30, after serving for three years.

A national search will be conducted to select a permanent successor.