Dr. Lary Barton will retire as president and CEO of The American College on Feb. 1, after serving as the cCollege's chief and professor of management since 2003. Barton will become chancellor and will be replaced on an interim basis by former State Farm Insurance executive Michael Davidson; a search committee, the college said, will begin seeking a permanent replacement next year.
Todd Schoon, chair of The American College's Board, noted in a statement that during Barton's tenure the school had begun digital learning courses, began offering a doctorate in retirement and financial planning and was responsible for "leading our most successful advancement campaign eve r— raising nearly $40 million in just the past two years." The 12-course Ph.D. program was launched in 2012, backed by a $5 million donation from New York Life.
This past year, the college announced that beginning Jan. 1, it would replace its well-known LUTCF (Life Underwriter Training Council Fellow) designation with the new Financial Services Certified Professional designation, or FSCP, which will focus on comprehensive planning. At the time, the college said the new designation is meant to enhance the LUTCF designation with more detailed content on topics like social media, health care and divorce planning.
