Columbus College of Art & Design’s board of trustees confirmed Thomas White, an award-winning industrial designer and branding expert who has positioned organizations for growth in a variety of business sectors, including higher education, as CCAD’s new president during the board’s annual meeting on June 24.

White, 58, is a passionate advocate for the power of art and design to fuel economic growth and innovation. He succeeds Dennison W. Griffith in leading one of the nation’s oldest and largest private colleges of art and design. Griffith, who announced in August that he would retire when his contract expired June 30, was president for 16 years and most recently oversaw the opening of the CCAD MindMarket as a hub for businesses to engage with the college.