Former South Carolina First Lady Jenny Sanford, whose public profile has swelled in the wake of her ex-husband’s rise and fall and recovery in politics, has declared her interest in being appointed president of the College of Charleston when the current officeholder steps down next June.
Sanford, the former spouse of ex-S.C. Gov. and current Rep. Mark Sanford (R), commented to the Charleston City Paper Thursday morning that she has not spoken formally with anyone at the institution and is waiting to learn more about the process.
“I understand I would be a long shot, but it certainly is something I would consider looking at,” Sanford said.
Sanford’s name has been associated with high-profile political positions in recent months — including a vacant Senate seat that current Republican Gov. Nikki Haley filled with the selection of then-Rep. Tim Scott — but her announced pursuit of the college’s presidency is a noted change in profession. Despite having no official experience leading higher education ventures, she said she would lean on a “unique” set of qualifications for the job, which include management skills she gleaned from running Mark Sanford’s first congressional and gubernatorial campaigns, and knowledge she gained from her exposure to higher education budget needs during Gov. Sanford’s tenure.
“Higher ed in general is at a crossroads in our nation, and I think it’s very important that we make sure that the College of Charleston is an institution that can contribute to thrive in this wonderful community,” Sanford continued. “There are pros and cons to the experiences I have.”
Sanford’s ties to the College of Charleston are both official and personal. Last summer, she donated boxes of emails, letters, scrapbooks and various other items she accumulated during her marriage to Mark Sanford to the school’s Special Collections Department. The “Jenny Sanford Papers,” as the department labeled them, offer a firsthand view of her political and public life while her ex-husband was in office.
Additionally, Sanford is reportedly friends with College of Charleston’s current president, George Benson. Benson, 67, introduced Sanford to a Georgia businessman she began dating after her divorce from Mark Sanford was finalized, according to a 2010 ABC News story. Benson is scheduled to retire in June 2014.
