Nora Demleitner has stepped down from her role as president of St. John’s College, the chair of the school’s board of trustees announced on Monday, and her successor has already been chosen.

Demleitner served as the president of the small Annapolis-based college from January 2022 through this May.

Warren Spector, chair of the college’s Board of Visitors and Governors, praised Demleitner for increasing financial accessibility for students and diversifying the college’s funding streams in his announcement.

“President Demleitner’s legacy is marked by her integrity, generosity of spirit, and tireless advocacy, which opened new doors for the college and forged lasting relationships that will benefit generations of Johnnies to come,” Spector wrote.

J. Walter Sterling, president of the college’s second campus in Santa Fe, New Mexico, has assumed the role of college-wide president.

Suzy Paalman, who was the dean of the Annapolis campus, is now its president.

A spokesperson for the college did not respond to a comment request. It is unclear if there was a formal search for a new college president.

Paalman and Sterling, who started their new jobs this week, are facing the college’s structural deficit of $9 million, which will increase to $10 million next year, according to a February Board of Visitors and Governors report.

There are “significant cash-flow issues,” according to the board, even though the college’s audited financial statement from last year reports an endowment of $322 million, which is a healthy amount for a school its size.

In a statement, Spector said that the deficit cited in the February report reflected a “worst-case scenario” and did not represent the college’s final budget. The college, he added, is fully funded through next fiscal year without taking on debt.

“Like many small colleges, we face the ongoing challenge of covering operating costs with sustainable revenue,” Spector acknowledged. “Our strategic planning is now focused on ensuring that more of our generous donor support strengthens our endowment rather than balancing our budget.”

The college, according to that same report, is also facing a downturn in enrollment.

“Last fall, St. John’s enrolled a smaller freshman class than desired, and with fewer domestic applications compared to this time last year, we expect the same or fewer incoming students in fall 2025,” the report reads. “This, plus a large graduating senior class, means an almost certain hit to net tuition revenue.”

There are 220 first-year students between the Annapolis and Santa Fe campuses. The school has under 600 total students, and the faculty-to-student ratio is 8-to-1. About 700 people work at the college, according to its LinkedIn page.

Spector’s letter to the college community announcing the changes alluded to “change and challenges” facing higher education.

“The strategic planning process remains active and focused on the long-term health of St. John’s College,” he wrote. “With a commitment to excellence in liberal education, we look ahead to a future in which both campuses are positioned for continued strength, innovation, and long-term sustainability.”

After Spector’s letter was released, Demleitner wrote her own on her LinkedIn page.

“There are so many who deserve my gratitude and appreciation for their partnership, friendship and support,” Demleitner wrote on Tuesday. “It has been a journey in which new friends joined me and old friends stood by me.”

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