Bishop Dr. Leo M. Simpson, who has led the Haywood Mission Institute in Liberia for 47 years, announced his retirement on Sunday during the school’s 54th graduation ceremony.
Simpson, who became principal of the Monrovia-based institution in 1978, oversaw its transformation into one of the country’s most respected schools, blending academic instruction with religious and moral teaching.
“My students and parents of the Haywood Mission Institute, I will be retiring in September this year,” he told an audience of parents, students and alumni, drawing applause and an emotional pause.
The 72-year-old cleric said the school’s leadership would remain in the family, naming his daughter, Monique Simpson Foray, as his successor. She has served in various administrative and academic roles at the institute.
Simpson’s tenure has left a mark on generations of Liberians, with many alumni now in leadership positions across education, government, business and the church.
The Haywood Mission Institute community will formally transition to new leadership in September, as Foray assumes the role of principal and prepares to chart the school’s next chapter.
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