BELMONT — The Board of Trustees of Belmont Abbey College has appointed Dr. Jeffrey W. Talley, Lieutenant General, U.S. Army (Retired), as the 21st president of the college.
“I am thrilled to announce Gen. Talley as the next president of Belmont Abbey College,” said Charles Cornelio, chair of the Belmont Abbey College Board of Trustees. “Jeff brings a vision and commitment that align deeply with the values and spirit of the Abbey. I am confident that under his leadership, Belmont Abbey will continue to flourish – academically, spiritually and as a community devoted to forming students in mind, body and soul. This is an exciting new chapter for the college as we look ahead to the next 150 years and beyond.”
Talley will assume the presidency on Jan. 2, 2026, and be formally inaugurated on Jan. 14. Following his inauguration, he will embark on a statewide and national tour to connect with alumni, donors and community partners.
The announcement comes after a seven-month search process that started when Dr. Bill Thierfelder’s retirement was announced following 20 years as president. The college established a 12-member presidential search committee who worked in partnership with Russell Reynolds Associates.
Talley combines experience in the academic and business worlds with a decorated 34-year active and reserve military career, culminating in his appointment as the 32nd Chief of Army Reserve & Commanding General of the U.S. Army Reserve Command. He has received three Bronze Stars, two Army Distinguished Service Medals, and the Gold de Fleury Medal, which is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ highest individual honor. Talley has also been a Benedictine oblate for nearly 40 years.
As Abbot Placid, O.S.B., Chancellor of Belmont Abbey College, noted: “The selection of Jeff as our next president affirms the College’s enduring commitment to its Benedictine mission– to educate students in the fullness of truth and to foster a community rooted in faith and learning.”
That aligns with Talley’s incoming vision for Belmont Abbey College: “We have a unique opportunity to help young men and women get a rigorous academic experience in a faith-filled environment that’s strong in its Catholic identity, so they can go forth in a world that’s become so challenging, so complex, so difficult,” he said.
Talley holds a doctorate in civil and environmental engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, an executive MBA from the University of Oxford, and other graduate degrees in liberal arts, religious studies and applied sciences.
He has taught, conducted research, and offered academic leadership at the University of Notre Dame, Southern Methodist University, Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University and the University of Southern California.
After retiring from the military in 2016, Talley served as a vice president and Global Fellow at IBM, and founded an advisory firm focused on public private partnerships called the P3i Group.
Talley was born in St. Louis. He and his wife, Linda, recently relocated from Scottsdale, Arizona, to the Charlotte area. They have four children and 10 grandchildren.
More online
At www.belmontabbeycollege.edu/president: Learn more about Belmont Abbey’s new president.