Belmont Abbey College has named an alumnus and longtime employee to serve as an interim president as it seeks a new leader.
Joseph Wysocki, who joined Belmont Abbey as an associate professor in 2010 and was named provost in May 2024, will be interim president effective Aug. 3. Bill Thierfelder, who has served as the private Catholic college’s president since 2004, announced his retirement earlier this year, and will step down from his current role on Aug. 2.
Wysocki earned a bachelor’s degree from Belmont Abbey in 2004 and then a master’s degree and doctorate degree in political science from Baylor University.
The college, located about 10 miles west of Charlotte, had 1,650 students in the fall of 2023, along with 91 full-time and 58 part-time faculty members. The college will mark its 150th year in 2026 since being founded by Benedictine monks in Belmont. It’s the only Roman Catholic-affiliated college in North Carolina.