Biography

C. Andrew “Andy” McGadney is the 20th president of Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois. He joined the College in July 2021.

A native of Connecticut, Andy McGadney earned his BA at Wesleyan University, majoring in Sociology and African American Studies. He later earned a Master of Public Administration and Policy from Columbia University and an EdD in Higher Education Management from the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to his appointment at Knox College, he served as Vice President and Dean of Student Advancement at Colby College, following three years as Colby’s Vice President and Secretary of the College, a role that made him the principal liaison to the Board of Trustees. Prior to Colby he was Vice President for University Advancement at Clark University in Worcester, MA. In that role, McGadney led fundraising efforts and instituted new infrastructure to plan, launch, and execute a $125 million comprehensive campaign. He also led efforts to improve student and alumni affinity at Clark.

Since arriving at Knox McGadney has led the effort to develop a bold and ambitious framework for growth that culminated in a strategic planning framework endorsed by the Knox College Board of Trustees in the fall of 2022. McGadney has moved several major strategic initiatives forward in his first two years including securing an anonymous lead gift to begin the planning, design, and construction of a new year-round facility at the College’s Green Oaks Biological Field Station that greatly enhances the offerings at Green Oaks and the accessibility for a broader range of faculty, students, and members of the Knox community. He also led the College through its first ever credit rating, a major debt refinance, and the return to a primarily residential and in-person educational program following closure and changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. McGadney continues to work to prepare Knox for its first comprehensive fundraising campaign in over 20 years, build and strengthen relationships with the Galesburg and local communities, and grow enrollment.

President McGadney has served on several non-profit and community boards, including Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and as an alumni trustee at his alma mater, Wesleyan University. He currently serves on the boards of the Federation of Independent Illinois Colleges and Universities, Associated Colleges of the Midwest, and Knox County Area Partnership for Economic Development.

McGadney and his wife Camille reside in Galesburg and have three children.