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Cousins resigns as Kentucky Wesleyan president.James Cousins, who has been president of Kentucky Wesleyan College for about two years, announced his intention to resign Thursday to the college's board of trustees.Scott Kramer, the college's vice president of operations and chief of staff, said the campus was informed of Cousins' resignation Friday morning.Cousins' last day as president will be July 31.A Kentucky Wesleyan press release said the board plans to name an interim president before launching a search for candidates to fill the position."There will be an interim, and a national search to follow," Kramer said.Cousins was hired as the college's vice president of academic affairs and provost in 2021.He became president of Kentucky Wesleyan after then-President Thomas Mitzel retired in 2024.When asked whether the resignation was a surprise, Kramer said, "We kind of suspected, but we didn't know for sure." In a phone interview Friday, Cousins said the decision to resign was difficult."I love Kentucky Wesleyan," Cousins said."I love the people there, the culture ...the campus community."We have done so many things," he said.Cousins declined to discuss his plans after leaving the president's office."We are not ready to talk about that," he said."The next step is we are fully committed to the transition" to an interim president.During his tenure as president, Kentucky Wesleyan saw its largest freshman class in 30 years, with 269 freshmen enrolling and bringing total enrollment to 864 in fall 2024.The college created new programs under Cousins' leadership, including a health care administration program and a Master of Business Administration program.The college also established the Center for American Civics in 2025 with the goal of becoming "a hub for civic learning, public discourse and community partnership, (while) integrating rigorous academic programming with practical outreach," according to a Kentucky Wesleyan press release issued at the time.Kramer said Cousins was also heavily involved in the effort to create a planned early childhood center on campus.The center, a partnership with the Owensboro Family YMCA, was announced earlier this week."He spearheaded that, for sure," Kramer said.Cousins also helped revise the college's curriculum and was involved in the campus development master plan, which is still being developed, Kramer said."We have some really exceptional folks" working at Kentucky Wesleyan, Cousins said."It was the honor of my professional career to get the ball rolling, and it continues to roll." Later, Cousins said, "I'm proud of the relationships we made." "I speak for myself, my wife and my son," he said."To come to Owensboro is to know home.We felt that connection the first day." In a prepared statement, Board of Trustees President Keith Sharber said: "I want to thank President Cousins for his five years of devoted leadership in a pivotal time for Kentucky Wesleyan College.I especially want to thank him for his commitment to support continuity and protect the interests of KWC during this transition period." Kramer said Cousins is leaving the college on solid footing."We feel we are in good shape financially," Kramer said."You have to meet a certain U.S.Department of Education score every year, and we have hit that every year he has been president." Cousins said there are still projects he would like to complete before his departure on July 31, but he declined to discuss them."I will put my heart into making sure there's no momentum lost," he said of the transition to an interim president."I have so enjoyed those five years, working with some really exceptional people, learning about Owensboro and helping the community grow and move forward," Cousins said."This has been the honor and the privilege of a lifetime."