James J. Annarelli

I have been an educator and educational leader for over four decades. A first-generation college graduate, I began my career as a member of the faculty of Theology and Religious Studies at St. John’s University and came to Eckerd College in 1990. Since then, I have served as an academic coordinator and faculty member, and later as assistant director of Eckerd’s adult degree completion program (the Program for Experienced Learners); as inaugural associate dean and director of the College’s Center for the Applied Liberal Arts; and, for 20 years, as Eckerd’s vice president for student life and dean of students. In February 2023 I was unanimously voted to become the sixth president of Eckerd College and am best described as a relationship-builder with a focus on campus community development. During my more than three decades at Eckerd, I have developed strong bonds with the College’s alumni community and, as dean and then president, traveled extensively on behalf of Eckerd’s alumni engagement efforts.