YPC Lunch with a Leader - Dr. Phil Cook

ABOUT DR. COOK

Dr. Phil Cook began his term as the eighteenth president of Lee University on July 1, 2025. The university’s Board of Directors announced Cook’s appointment in early May after an extensive national search carried out by the Presidential Search Committee in collaboration with FaithSearch Partners of Dallas.

Cook succeeded veteran president Dr. Paul Conn, who completed a one-year term as president and returned to his role as chancellor.

Cook brings over 30 years of experience in higher education, most recently serving as President and CEO of the North American Coalition for Christian Admissions Professionals (NACCAP) beginning in 2021.

Of his experience in higher education, the lion’s share is with a specific focus on enrollment management, as NACCAP is an association for enrollment professionals, and his prior experience was in service at Lee University in the enrollment sector. From 1997 to 2021 he held every administrative position in the unit from Assistant Director of Admissions to Vice President for Enrollment Management. He led the enrollment team during an extended period of consistent, dramatic growth that revolutionized the university’s profile on the landscape of Christian higher education.

During his long stint as a Lee employee, Cook also gained a familiarity with other aspects of university life, as he served as a resident director and as Director of Student Events and also found time to serve as a sponsor of the men’s social service club Alpha Gamma Chi, as an instructor in both the School of Religion and the Office of First Year programs, as moderator of Dixon Center chapel services, and even as the public address announcer for Lee University home basketball games. This track record not only speaks of a significant long-term commitment to Lee University, but also an investment into the day-to-day lives of its students.

Cook holds a PhD in higher education administration from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, a Master of Divinity from the Church of God School of Theology, and a Bachelor of Science in Business from Lee.

An ordained bishop in the Church of God, he is married to Tonya Cook, and they have three children and two grandchildren.

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