Salem Academy and College Inaugurates Dr. Jill Fleuriet as 23rd President in Investiture Ceremony
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Salem Academy and College inaugurated Dr. Jill Fleuriet as its 23rd president on Oct. 16, 2026, in an investiture ceremony on Salem’s historic campus.
Fleuriet, who began her presidency on July 1, came to Salem Academy and College from the University of Texas at San Antonio, where she served as vice provost for honors education, leading an honors college designed around a liberal arts experience. Under her leadership, the program grew significantly, improving student success outcomes and expanding experiential learning opportunities that connected academic inquiry with real-world impact.
Representatives of Salem Academy and College’s alumnae, Board of Trustees, faculty, and students delivered brief remarks during the inauguration ceremony, along with Fleuriet’s mother, daughter, and a former colleague. Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines also welcomed Fleuriet and emphasized Salem’s importance to the community. “Salem College plays a key role in the economic and cultural vitality of our community. I look forward to working with Dr. Fleuriet on issues important not only to Salem College, but also to the City as a whole,” Joines said.
Fleuriet’s inauguration marked a new era for Salem Academy and College, an institution with a 254-year history of educating girls and women. In her inaugural address, Fleuriet reflected on Salem’s legacy of expanding opportunities for women and shared her vision for building on that legacy to prepare future generations of leaders.
Fleuriet stressed the importance of honoring Salem’s history while embracing the changes necessary to ensure its future. “This is what we owe Salem and its founders: a future as bold as its beginning, an institution that adapts and grows,” she said.
She outlined her goal for Salem’s future, which she summarized as “more Salem for more girls and women.” Fleuriet emphasized expanding educational opportunities and financial support to reach more students while preserving the personalized experience that distinguishes Salem, saying, “More students should have the opportunity to be known here and discover how much they can do.”
Fleuriet also highlighted plans to strengthen the institution’s financial foundation and to build partnerships that connect students with community challenges. She underscored Salem’s distinctive mission to prepare girls and women to lead through an education grounded in the liberal arts, leadership, and wellness.
“I want more of Salem in the world around us,” Fleuriet said. “Our students should learn alongside more people addressing real-world problems. When people in Winston-Salem and beyond imagine what their communities could become, I want Salem to be one of the first places they turn.”