By Steve Esser
YOUNG HARRIS, GA — Young Harris College is proud to announce that Dr. John W. Wells has been chosen to serve as its 24th President by a unanimous vote of the Board of Trustees at its meeting on November 8, 2024. Dr. Wells succeeds President Drew Van Horn, who is retiring at the end of the fall semester.
Dr. Wells previously served as Provost and Interim President of Young Harris from 2005 to 2009, during the College’s transition from junior college to senior college. He most recently served as Provost and later President of a fellow Methodist-affiliated institution, Emory & Henry College in Southwest Virginia, from 2017 to 2024 and was appointed as the institution’s first Chancellor upon his retirement in July.
“I am honored to return to the Enchanted Valley,” said Dr. Wells. “Young Harris has always been dear to my heart. This college is exceptionally well positioned to weather the challenges facing higher education and provide Georgians and our neighbors with access to an outstanding liberal arts education for generations to come.”
A native of East Tennessee, Dr. Wells is the son of two ministers in the United Methodist Church and served briefly as a minister himself before turning to a career in higher education. He earned his B.A. in History from Carson-Newman University and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Tennessee.
He was an award-winning faculty member at Carson-Newman from 1993 to 2005, where he also served as Director of the Honors Program and Dean of Social Sciences. From 2009 to 2016, he served as Executive Vice President at Mars Hill University in North Carolina, where he oversaw a 30% increase in enrollment, expanded academic offerings, and led the creation of the college’s first graduate degree program. From 2016 to 2017, he served as Associate General Secretary of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry and Executive Secretary of the National Association of Schools and Colleges of the UMC. His time at Emory & Henry was marked by record enrollment and fundraising, a shift from NCAA Division III to Division II athletics, the building of new facilities, and a shift from college to university status.
“John has a vast wealth of experience that will help him steer Young Harris College forward,” said Bill Johnston, Chair of the YHC Board of Trustees. “His breadth of experience and record of success will serve the College and the community well. We welcome him back to Young Harris.”
Dr. Wells returns to an institution that has experienced significant change in the fifteen years since he left, with numerous new academic programs, physical facilities, and Division II athletic teams. Under President Van Horn, Young Harris has begun delivering its first master’s program, increased the College-held endowment to over $60 million, raised student retention and graduate placement to their highest ever rates, and been reaffirmed by SACSCOC without recommendations.
Dr. Wells’s wife, Dr. Shannon Earle, previously served as a student affairs professional at Young Harris and now serves as Associate Vice Chancellor for University Advancement at the University of North Carolina Asheville. They have two adult children, Garland and Molly.
About Young Harris College
Young Harris College is a private baccalaureate and master’s degree-granting institution located in the beautiful mountains of North Georgia. Founded in 1886 and historically affiliated with The United Methodist Church, Young Harris College educates, inspires, and empowers students through an education that purposefully integrates the liberal arts and professional studies. The College has four academic divisions: Fine Arts; Humanities; Mathematics, Science, and Technology; and Professional Studies. Approximately 1,400 students are enrolled in its residential and Early College programs. The College is an active member of the NCAA Division II and remains a fierce competitor in the Conference Carolinas. For more information, visit yhc.edu.
