CHARLOTTE -- Johnson C. Smith University in North Carolina has named a new president.

The Charlotte school said in a news release Wednesday that Clarence Armbrister will become the university's 14th president on Jan. 1.

Armbrister is currently president of Philadelphia's Girard College, an independent college preparatory school for students from economically disadvantaged families.

“I am honored and humbled to have been selected as the 14th president of Johnson C. Smith University, which throughout its 150-year history has improved the lives of its students and contributed to the growth of Charlotte,” Armbrister said. “I am especially looking forward to working with the Board, the faculty, staff and administration to position JCSU as one of the finest institutions of higher education in the country that meets not only the needs of its students, but those of the communities it serves—locally, regionally and globally. This will build upon the unparalleled success of Dr. Carter’s work to establish JCSU as a premier independent 21^st century new urban university.”

He will replace Ronald L. Carter, who steps down Dec. 31 after leading the school for nine years.

Armbrister has also worked in Philadelphia's school district and held senior administrative positions at Temple University and Johns Hopkins University.

Johnson C. Smith is one of the nation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities, offering a private liberal arts education to about 1,600 students.