Ringling College president announces retirement plans

Longtime Ringling College of Art and Design president Larry Thompson will retire at the end of the 2025-26 academic year, the Sarasota college announced on Thursday.

Thompson, the sixth president of the school, has been in the position for 26 years. No successor has been named, and a national search will commence with Board of Trustees Chair Joel Morganroth leading the search committee.

“When I arrived in 1999, I was so impressed with the students and the faculty and the passion they shared for art and design,’’ Thompson says in a statement. “I became committed to the vision of setting students on a path that would be not only incredibly fulfilling but financially rewarding as well. I set out to ‘shatter the myth of the starving artist.’”

He has served on the boards of numerous organizations, including as chair of the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, president of the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County, chair of Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida, and more. Thompson is the recipient of many academic and humanitarian honors and awards.

Under Thompson, the campus on Tamiami Trail has expanded and student enrollment reached a record 1,722, more than double the number from his first year as president. The college also built 14 buildings under Thompson’s leadership and upped academic offerings from six majors in 1999 to 26 today. Nearly 500 faculty and staff work there. 

In 2023, the college launched a capital campaign with a goal of $175 million. As of late March, the campaign has reached about 89% of that goal, something he says he wanted to see to its completion in his final year as president.

“I’m committed to seeing the college get to the finish line in my last year,’’ he says in the statement. “We’ve seen such incredible support from the community, not just for this campaign, but throughout the time I’ve served as president. For example, our endowment has increased from under $4 million in 1999 to $73 million at the end of our last fiscal year, but there is still work to be done.”

Also in the statement, Morganroth expressed gratitude for Thompson's contributions. 

“(Larry') legacy at Ringling College is indelible,'' he says, "His vision to create a successful education-to-career pipeline has led to Ringling students being an employer’s first choice in the industry. And his ability to connect with people and share his passion for the college is unparalleled.”

Thompson talked about his career, leadership and more on the Business Observer's leadership podcast, From the Corner Office, on Episode No. 66 last year.