UCF President John C. Hitt will retire in 2018

The man at the forefront of developing the University of Central Florida into one of the largest schools in the nation has announced he will no longer be at its helm.

UCF President John C. Hitt announced he will be retiring in 2018, according to a statement released by the university today.

On June 30, 2018, Hitt will step down as president after holding the position for 26 years. He is the university’s fourth and longest serving president.

No exact reason was given for his retirement, but Hitt said he makes this decision in good health and is confident this is the right time for him to step down because he has “never felt better about UCF.”

At this time, it has not been announced who will be replacing Hitt. UCF Board of Trustees Chairman Marcos Marchena will oversee the committee responsible hiring the next president.

“Making this decision now provides the best opportunity for our momentum to continue,” Hitt said in the statement. “I know that our leadership team, including our trustees, vice presidents, and deans, will continue turning big dreams into reality.”

This article appears in Oct 18-24, 2017.