January 21, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 21, 2025
Â鶹´«Ã½ Anchorage Chancellor Parnell Announces Retirement at End of Spring Semester 2025
Outgoing chancellor leaves a legacy of community engagement after four years of service
(ANCHORAGE) — Â鶹´«Ã½ Anchorage (Â鶹´«Ã½A) Chancellor Sean Parnell announced today that he will retire at the end of the Spring Semester of 2025, concluding four years of service to Â鶹´«Ã½A and the Â鶹´«Ã½ (Â鶹´«Ã½). During his tenure, he emphasized Â鶹´«Ã½A’s role as a key educator of Alaska’s workforce while maintaining affordability and accessibility for students. In retirement, he plans to spend more time with family and friends, research, write, and continue coaching and teaching emerging leaders.
“Â鶹´«Ã½A is well-positioned for a bright future,†Chancellor Parnell said in a message announcing his retirement to the Â鶹´«Ã½A community. “Our vibrant campuses are supported by high-quality faculty, dedicated staff, and leadership. As a dual-mission university, Â鶹´«Ã½A adds significant value to Alaska’s communities and employers through your efforts, and we offer a clear value proposition to our students as an affordable, accessible path to careers and meaningful lives. It has been an honor to serve at Â鶹´«Ã½A, where we create opportunities for others through our collective work.â€
Chancellor Parnell was appointed by Â鶹´«Ã½ President Pat Pitney in 2021. His mother was an educator, and his long-time passion for education and Alaska’s public universities made him an excellent choice to lead Alaska’s largest university. He leaves Â鶹´«Ã½A with a trend of growing enrollment, enhanced decision-making transparency, and improved communication between stakeholders and university leadership.
“Chancellor Parnell has been an incredible leader for Â鶹´«Ã½A; he’s built a strong leadership team, and I’m grateful for his service,†Â鶹´«Ã½ President Pat Pitney said. “He joined our system during a challenging time, and has been a dedicated chancellor since Day 1, revitalizing connections with the Anchorage and the Â鶹´«Ã½A Community. He’ll be very missed. As we navigate the transition in the coming months, I’m committed to quality two-way communication with Â鶹´«Ã½A stakeholders to fill the Chancellor role in a way that sets Â鶹´«Ã½A up for continued success, and maintains the stability that’s been built during his tenure.â€
“I’m incredibly grateful for Chancellor Parnell, and his dedicated years of service to Â鶹´«Ã½A, the Â鶹´«Ã½ System, and the state of Alaska,†Â鶹´«Ã½ Board of Regents Chair Ralph Seekins said. “While we are sad to see him leave at the end of the semester, the board looks forward to working collaboratively on finding the next person to fill that role. On behalf of myself and the Board, I thank Chancellor Parnell for his dedication to Â鶹´«Ã½A and the Â鶹´«Ã½ System. He will be dearly missed.â€
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For more information, contact Tanya Pont, Â鶹´«Ã½A executive director of advancement at (907) 764-2881, or via email at tmpont@alaska.edu.