Colonel David L. Coggins, USMC (Ret.), Fork Union Military Academy's 11th President, has announced his intent to retire in October 2023. The Board of Trustees has named CAPT Mark E. Black, USN (ret.), as President-elect and he will become the 12th President of Fork Union Military Academy in October 2023.
FORK UNION, Va., March 8, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Colonel David L. Coggins, USMC (Ret.), Fork Union Military Academy's 11th President, has announced his intent to retire later this year. The Academy will celebrate Colonel Coggins' tenure in connection with Fork Union Military Academy's 125th Anniversary, which will be held on October 13-15, 2023. Colonel Coggins and his wife Kelli look forward to retiring to Florida and being able to spend more time with their family.
"The Academy appreciates Colonel Coggins' faithful leadership, particularly through the COVID pandemic," said Paige L. Pruett, Chairman of the Fork Union Military Academy Board of Trustees. "The Academy is blessed to have had the Colonel's vision and leadership, and we all are excited for him as he embarks on this next chapter of his life with Kelli."
"The Academy is a special place," Colonel Coggins adds, "and Kelli and I are glad to have been a part of it."
CAPT Mark E. Black, USN (ret.), has been named the 12th President of Fork Union Military Academy. CAPT Black will be designated as President-elect immediately and assume the role as President upon Colonel Coggins' retirement in the fall. CAPT Black is a current faculty member and coach and fully appreciates the Academy's dedication to "Body, Mind & Spirit". He currently serves as a teacher of US Military and War History, Leadership & Ethics, and U. S. Government in the Academy's unique One Subject Plan. In addition, CAPT Black also coaches lacrosse and football.
CAPT Black graduated from Virginia Military Institute with distinction. He was commissioned in the US Navy in 1986 and was designated as a Naval Flight Officer and is a graduate of the famed Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN). During his Navy career, he was selected to serve as a squadron commander and a wing commander before being assigned to lead all Naval personnel in Afghanistan as the NAVCENT Forward Afghanistan Officer in Charge. He was Commanding Officer and Professor of Naval Science at the University of Virginia's Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) Unit and came to the Academy from Fishburne Military School, where he served as Superintendent.
"Our world needs Fork Union Military Academy—now more than ever—and I am honored to have the opportunity to lead the Academy's in its mission of educating, developing and inspiring young men in a Christian, college prep, military environment," CAPT Black emphasized.
Paige Lester Pruett, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Fork Union Military Academy, extolled the elevation of CAPT Black to the position of President, saying, "CAPT Black is already a respected and admired teacher and coach—the Board is confident that he is uniquely suited to lead the Academy forward from its 125th Anniversary while preserving the Academy's traditional, Christian values."
Fork Union Military Academy is a leading Christian, college preparatory boarding school which utilizes the structure and discipline of a military academy system in order to maximize the potential and achievement of our young men. The Academy serves young men in grades 7-12 and postgraduates in the wonderful village of Fork Union in the heart of central Virginia. The Academy offers high-quality academics and athletics built on a foundation of traditional core values that helps build character development, self-discipline, responsibility, and leadership development skills.
Media Contact
Dan Thompson, Fork Union Military Academy, 434-996-7772, [email protected]
SOURCE Fork Union Military Academy
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