Whit Whitaker, JD

Alexander “Whit” Whitaker brings deep experience in higher education leadership, governance, and law to his role as a Strategic Advisor. His relationship with CarterBaldwin began in 2015, when the firm led the search that brought him to King University as president, and later continued when CarterBaldwin was retained to recruit his successor. As a trustee of his alma mater, Berry College, he also participated in the CarterBaldwin-led search for Berry’s president.

Whit’s advisory work draws on strengths in board governance, strategic planning, CEO onboarding and assessment, crisis management, and contingency planning. At King University, he guided the institution through instability and secured both the largest alumni gift and the largest single gift in the school’s 150+ year history. Previously, he spent a decade as Chief of Staff at Berry College, overseeing public relations, governmental affairs, religious life, and board governance, while remaining active in advancement and public speaking.

Before entering higher education, Whit served as a career Navy Judge Advocate (JAG), with legal and leadership assignments on both U.S. coasts and in Scotland, London, and Japan. His work focused on litigation and international law. He retired in 2007 as a Captain after commanding the Navy’s Southeast trial defense command.

An engaged leader in national higher education circles, Whit serves as an accreditation chair for the SACS Commission on Colleges and has served on the boards of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association (TICUA), and as president of NCAA Division II Conference Carolinas. He also serves as a trustee for Berry College, Trinity Anglican Seminary, and Darlington School.

Whit holds a JD from the University of Virginia and an LLM in International and Comparative Law from Georgetown University. He also holds graduate theology degrees from Duke University and Trinity Anglican Seminary. He participated in Harvard University President’s Seminar and earned a Certificate in Fund Raising Management from Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. He is a member of both the Georgia and Virginia bars.

Whit and his wife, Maria, enjoy time with their three grown children and five grandchildren. They divide their time between Bristol, TN, and Richmond, VA.