This past Saturday, I attended the inauguration of Dr. Edward C. Wingenbach as the new President of The American College of Greece. It was a proud moment of celebration for one of Greece’s most historic institutions, one that began its mission across the Aegean in Smyrna as a school for girls 150 years ago.
But it was also a moment of reflection for me, because participating in the inauguration of the new president was the man who had just completed a 17-year tenure at the helm: Dr. David Horner. I had the chance to greet him, to wish him well as he embarks on his next chapter, and to think back to the years when I stood by his side as he began his journey in Greece.
It was one of my professional honors to serve and support this man, as well as such an esteemed institution and an experience that will stay with me forever.
David Horner’s impact on The American College of Greece is indisputable. He expanded programs, doubled enrollment, and established ACG as a true powerhouse of innovation and learning– not only in Greece, but in all of Europe.
Yet what matters even more is how he did it. With humility. With patience. With a genuine love for Greece and a respect for its ideals. He came not as a foreigner trying to mold Greece into something else, but as a Philhellene willing to invest his expertise to make the country stronger.
And that is exactly why Greece needs more David Horners. This country’s challenges are well known: brain drain, bureaucracy, short-term thinking and a complicated educational system that treats institutions like The American College of Greece as second-rate institutions.
But none of these challenges are insurmountable when there are leaders like David who dedicate themselves to the long game. People who don’t just celebrate Greece’s ancient ideals but work tirelessly to carry them forward into modern life. People who believe that education, culture, and community can transform not just individuals but entire societies.
David Horner modeled this kind of leadership. For 17 years, through institutional crises and recovery, through personal struggles during the loss of his beloved wife, Susan, who left a hole in everyone’s heart– he stayed steady, building bridges and nurturing generations of young people to think critically, act ethically, and dream boldly.
His legacy is not just in the institution he strengthened, but in the ripple effect of thousands of students, alumni, staff and academics who will carry those values into the world. And that legacy touches the entire country, itself. Greece is better than it was 17 years ago. And David Horner played a role in this growth.
Pericles famously said two thousand years ago that “What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.” David Horner’s legacy is this, exactly.
Greece is at its best when it attracts, supports, and multiplies leaders like him—leaders who bring substance over slogans, vision over vanity, service over self. I was reminded of this as I shook his hand on Saturday. His journey at the American College of Greece may be complete, but his example should not be the exception. It should be the standard.
If Greece is to live up to its potential, it needs more David Horners.
