Elon University named former university leader Jeff Stein as chief integration officer, providing leadership for its pending merger with Queens University of Charlotte.
Stein had been president of Mary Baldwin University in Staunton, Virginia, for the past two years before resigning last summer. He rejoined Elon on Dec. 29 and is based in Charlotte.
He previously worked for Elon for 21 years, including as vice president of strategic initiatives and partnerships and co-chair of the Boldly Elon strategic planning committee. University officials credit him as among the leaders who have helped Elon expand enrollment and raise its national profile among private liberal arts campuses.
In mid-December, Elon and Queens trustees approved a definitive legal agreement as part of a merger expected to be finalized by the U.S. Department of Education in 2027 or 2028.
“I’m excited to build upon the Elon and Queens legacies, bringing together two student-centered institutions to create something neither could accomplish alone — a model for the future of higher education that expands opportunity for students and strengthens one of America’s most dynamic cities,” Stein said in a release.
Elon is forming an Integration Team that will be chaired by Stein and former Queens President Pamela Davies. The team will work with Elon President Connie Book and Queens Acting President and CEO Jesse Cureton in responding to regulatory and accreditation requirements and establishing shared services between the campuses, according to the release. The goal is to create a fully integrated campus.
Elon, located in Alamance County about 20 miles east of Greensboro, has about 7,300 students and 3,000-plus alumni in the Charlotte area. Its financial reports show assets of $1.2 billion, revenue of $329 million and an endowment of $366 million as of May 2025. It has invested significantly in Charlotte in recent years, launching a part-time law program in 2024 along with other graduate and undergraduate classes.
Queens has about 1,800 students and assets of $327 million, and is centered in Charlotte’s affluent Myers Park neighborhood. It reported $34 million in cumulative losses since 2020, while Elon showed net gains of about $148 million in that period.
In 2020, Queens hired Daniel Lugo to succeed Davies, who was president from 2002-19. Lugo left last year to become president of Trinity College in Connecticut.
Stein joined Elon in 2002 as assistant dean of students and assistant professor of English. In 2010, he became special assistant to the president and secretary to the board of trustees and was later named chief of staff. Stein has an undergraduate degree from Beloit College in Wisconsin and a doctorate in education from the University of Georgia.
David Mildenberg is editor of Business North Carolina. Reach him at dmildenberg@businessnc.com.