Arkansas Baptist College has fired its president, William “Bill” Walker Jr., less than one year into his presidency, according to a report from the Arkansas Times.
Walker first joined the Arkansas Baptist College community in 2017 as a member of the HBCU’s board of trustees. He was named president in October 2025. According to the college’s current board members, several concerns regarding Dr. Walker’s presidency were brought to their attention, resulting in their decision to terminate him in a recent meeting.
“The recommendation was made to terminate him, which was affirmed by the board,” Arkansas Baptist College board member Gene McKissic told the Arkansas Times. “Mr. Walker was given a series of concerns and the opportunity to address those so he knows why he was terminated. He was there during our four and a half hour meeting. But I’m not going to get into the whys. There are a lot of areas that need to be cleaned up on the campus, and we are putting the right people in place to address those concerns.”
As the HBCU searches for its next permanent leader, George Herts has been named interim president of Arkansas Baptist College. Dr. Herts has previously served as the college’s interim president and vice president of academic and student affairs. Earlier in his career, he held various roles at two other Arkansas-based HBCUs: Shorter College in North Little Rock and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
