Illinois Wesleyan University President Richard Wilson will retire in July 2015. (Photo courtesy IWU Office of Communications)

By Joe Ragusa

BLOOMINGTON – Illinois Wesleyan University President Richard Wilson has announced he will retire next year.

Wilson has been the university's president since 2004.

"This last decade has been very turbulent economically and a significant portion of my time has been spent on trying to find ways to sustain the strength, health and quality of the university," Wilson said.

Wilson will step down July 31, or whenever a new president assumes the office. He said one of his biggest accomplishments is the "Transforming Lives" fundraising drive, which began in 2008 during the economic downturn.

"Despite all of the challenges that people were facing, Illinois Wesleyan remained one of the philanthropic priorities," Wilson said. "We just moved through that period and continued to receive gifts from alumni and friends."

The Illinois Wesleyan Office of Communications said a special committee will be formed to carry out the search, including members of the Board of Trustees, the faculty, staff and the student body.  The university said the committee will be formed in January.

Joe Ragusa can be reached at [email protected].