August 12, 2026–���߲����� has announced the names of the finalists to be the University’s seventh president. The finalists will be on campus next week for in-person interviews. The interview schedule will include an open forum which will give students, faculty, staff and the public an opportunity to hear presentations and ask questions of the candidates.

“The presidential search committee is pleased to have solid finalists who know ���߲����� very well,” said Bill Grimwood, chair of the Board of Governors and the search committee. “The on-campus interview process will give our campus community and supporters an opportunity to get to know each candidate better and provide us with feedback as we consider the best fit for the University.”

The candidates are listed below with their interview date, time and location. Additional information is available at .

Dr. Jay Johnson
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, ���߲�����
1:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 17, Kemper Recital Hall, Spratt Hall room 101

Dr. Jay Johnson has been the provost and vice president for academic affairs at ���߲�����, where he also is a tenured associate professor in the Craig School of Business, since January 2025. In addition to his service at ���߲�����, Dr. Johnson has served in several roles during his 22-year career that includes being an associate provost at Northwest Missouri State, a business dean at Fontbonne University, business management department chair at North Central Missouri College, MBA program director at both Benedictine College and Friends University, and a variety of other faculty roles. Prior to joining higher education, Dr. Johnson was a farmer in Gallatin, Missouri on his family farm, which is still in operation. Dr. Johnson holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Missouri-Columbia, an MBA from William Woods University, and a BA in Business/Marketing from Truman State University.

Dr. Lenny Klaver
President, North Central Missouri College
1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 19, Kemper Recital Hall, Spratt Hall room 101

Dr. Lenny Klaver began serving as President of North Central Missouri College (NCMC) in May of 2016. He has led the development of three consecutive comprehensive strategic plans. Under Dr. Klaver’s leadership, NCMC has expanded its academic and athletic program arrays and increased community engagement. In August 2023, the college opened a state-of-the-art satellite campus in Savannah, MO and in January of 2026, NCMC opened a new student center. Cumulative enrollment has increased 24% in the past 5 years and 17% during his tenure at the college during which time NCMC also graduated its four largest classes in history. Under his leadership and expertise, NCMC recently completed a successful capital campaign exceeding the original goal as set forth in the feasibility study. Dr. Klaver has served as a Vice President/Vice Chancellor at universities in Michigan and Wisconsin, respectively. In addition, he was a tenured faculty member at Wayne State College and the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Klaver earned his doctorate in Educational Administration from the University of Northern Colorado in 1994 where his dissertation on Transformative Leadership received the prestigious Graduate Dean’s Citation for Excellence award.

Editor’s Note: Media Availability

As each situation allows, the finalist may be available for brief media interviews following their public forum, from 2:30 to 2:40 p.m. Members of the media interested in scheduling an interview should contact Kent Heier at kheier@missouriwestern.edu and Liby Waltemath at lwaltemath@missouriwestern.edu.��

���߲����� is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. ���߲����� is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

June 3, 2026–The search for the seventh president of ���߲����� is officially underway. The Board of Governors is accepting applications and has appointed a search committee.

“We are looking for a mission-driven servant leader with a deep commitment to public higher education,” said Bill Grimwood, chair of the Board of Governors and chair of the search committee. “He or she will understand the current higher education landscape, and put ���߲����� in a position to succeed in that landscape. ���߲����� is poised to do great things, and I’m confident that we will attract a lot of worthy candidates.”

The president serves as ���߲�����’s chief executive and administrative officer, shaping the University’s vision, setting its strategic direction and advancing the institution’s mission and long-term success.

The Board of Governors also announced membership of a search committee composed of board members, faculty, staff, students and community members:

• Chair: Bill Grimwood, MWSU Board of Governors and Chief Information Officer, Hillyard Companies
• Todd Michalski ’92, MWSU Board of Governors and Senior Vice President-Sales and Marketing, Gray Manufacturing
• Lisa Norton, MWSU Board of Governors and CEO, BioZyme Incorporated
• Natalie Hawn ’00, President & CEO, St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce
• Dr. Kelly Henry, Professor and Department Chair, Psychology
• Kathy Kelly, Past President of Staff Association and Administrative Coordinator, College of Business and Professional Studies
• Jana Laipple, Assistant Vice President of Finance and Administration
• Unyque Mallett, Student Government Association Vice President
• Monty Smith, President of Faculty Senate, Professor of Criminal Justice and Graduate Program Director
• Mike Poore, CEO of Mosaic Life Care
• Zack Workman ’74, retired business owner and President, ���߲����� Gold Coat Club

Information about the search can be found on ���߲�����’s Presidential Search website.

Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy announced her retirement May 1 after six years at ���߲�����, including five years as president. Patt Lilly is serving as interim president until the next president takes office.

���߲����� is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. ���߲����� is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

May 6, 2026–The Board of Governors at ���߲����� has named Patt Lilly as interim president of the University, effective May 11, 2026.

“Having served 12 years of the Board of Governors, including a term as Chair, Lilly is a dedicated, long-standing supporter of the University,” said Bill Grimwood, chair of the Board of Governors, in a statement to campus. “Lilly brings decades of executive leadership experience across various sectors including public service, private industry and community development. This depth of experience, combined with a strong understanding of our region and community, uniquely positions Lilly to lead the University during this transition. The Board has full confidence in his ability to guide Missouri Western with clarity, stability and purpose.”

Most recently serving as Principal Consultant at Lilly & Associates, he previously led the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce as President and CEO for more than 18 years, where he played a key role in advancing regional growth and economic development. He served as Chief Administrative Officer for Triumph Foods for almost 7 years. In addition, Lilly has held multiple roles in local government serving as City Manager for the City of St. Joseph, as well as, management positions in Texas cities. Lilly began his career in commercial banking. He holds a Master of Arts in Public Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Houston.

“I am honored to support the University at this critical time,” Lilly said. “I am committed to maximizing the strength of our faculty and staff to ensure operational continuity. I look forward to working closely with the Board to facilitate a successful transition and the selection of the next president.”

Grimwood said ���߲����� will continue to move forward with confidence.

“Our priorities, supporting student success, advancing applied learning and strengthening our role in the region, remain unchanged,” he said. “Day-to-day operations will continue as normal, and our work moving the university forward will not pause.”

The full statement from Grimwood is below.��

Dear Griffons,

On behalf of the Board, I am writing to share an important leadership update for ���߲�����.

We are grateful for Dr. Kennedy’s leadership and service, which have helped position Missouri Western for continued success, and we remain firmly focused on building on that momentum as Missouri’s premier regional applied learning university.

To ensure continuity and steady leadership, the Board has appointed Patt Lilly as Interim President of ���߲�����, effective May 11, 2026.

Having served 12 years on the Board of Governors, including a term as Chair, Lilly is a dedicated, long-standing supporter of the University. Throughout his tenure, he provided leadership across three Missouri Western administrations; working with Presidents Janet Murphy, Jim Scanlon and Robert Vartabedian.

“I am honored to support the University at this critical time. I am committed to maximizing the strength of our faculty and staff to ensure operational continuity. I look forward to working closely with the Board to facilitate a successful transition and the selection of the next president.”��

Lilly brings decades of executive leadership experience across various sectors including public service, private industry and community development. Most recently serving as Principal Consultant at Lilly & Associates, he previously led the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce as President and CEO for more than 18 years, where he played a key role in advancing regional growth and economic development. He served as Chief Administrative Officer for Triumph Foods for almost 7 years. In addition, Lilly has held multiple roles in local government serving as City Manager for the City of St. Joseph, as well as, management positions in Texas cities. Lilly began his career in commercial banking.

Lilly holds a Master of Arts in Public Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Houston.

This depth of experience, combined with a strong understanding of our region and community, uniquely positions Lilly to lead the University during this transition. The Board has full confidence in his ability to guide Missouri Western with clarity, stability and purpose. This is an active leadership role, and he will have full authority to lead and make decisions on behalf of the institution.

It is important to emphasize that our direction remains clear. Our priorities, supporting student success, advancing applied learning and strengthening our role in the region, remain unchanged. Day-to-day operations will continue as normal, and our work moving the university forward will not pause.

���߲����� is in a strong position, and we move forward with confidence in our leadership and in the collective strength of our Griffon community.

Thank you for your continued commitment to our students and to each other.

Sincerely,
Bill Grimwood
Chair, Board of Governors
���߲�����

���߲����� is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. ���߲����� is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

Sept. 30, 2025–Dr. Marvin O. Looney, who served as the first president of ���߲�����, died Sept. 29 in Mountain Home, Arkansas. He was 97 years old.

“There are few figures, if any, more vital than Dr. Looney to the development of ���߲�����,” said Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy, the University’s fifth president. “When he arrived in St. Joseph, a four-year regional university was little more than a dream. He gave that dream shape and substance, inspiring faculty, staff, students and the community to build ���߲����� into the vibrant university it remains today.”

A naval veteran of World War II, the southwest Missouri native graduated from Missouri State University and began teaching and coaching at Gainesville High School, his alma mater. Dr. Looney earned his Ph.D. from the University of Arkansas in 1961 and after stops at the University of Central Missouri, Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek, Michigan, and Mahoning Community College, Dr. Looney was named president of what was then Missouri Western Junior College in 1967, two years before the college became a four-year institution and moved to its current campus.��

Dr. Looney’s time in St. Joseph were eventful years, including the establishment and accreditation of a four-year institution, the construction of buildings that continue to serve as the heart of the ���߲����� campus today (including the M.O. Looney Fieldhouse that bears his name), and the growth and success of intercollegiate athletics, including the introduction of women’s sports in 1975. He and his family–wife Dorsey and sons Doug, Bill and Chris–lived in the President’s House on campus until it was destroyed by fire on New Year’s Eve, 1981.

“We can say with certainty that he has been a good leader,” wrote Dr. Frances Flanagan in her history of the college. “If we recall the struggling–no, staggering–junior college in which Dr. Looney began his presidency and contrast that institution with the energetic and assured college in which he will end his presidential odyssey, we will see what he has accomplished.”��

After retiring from ���߲����� in 1983, he returned to the workforce to lead the University of Alaska Anchorage, then served eight years as chancellor of Missouri State University-West Plains. He lived in Pontiac, Missouri.

���߲����� is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. ���߲����� is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .��

Sept. 19, 2025–Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy, president of ���߲�����, was presented the inaugural Beacon Award for Outstanding Community Partner from the at the foundation’s annual Fall Community Breakfast Sept. 19 at ���߲�����.��

The Beacon Award honors a community partner who “lights the way” for students and educators. The foundation commended Dr. Kennedy’s leadership in providing a clearer, more attainable path to college for local students.

“Dr. Kennedy is a hands-on partner who turns ideas into doors opening for kids,” said Julie Cobb, executive director of the SJSD Foundation. “Because of her leadership at Missouri Western, more SJSD students can see–and step onto–a clear path from our classrooms to college and careers right here in St. Joseph.”

“I’m humbled by this honor, which reflects the hard work and dedication that everyone at ���߲����� brings to the task of making a college education accessible for everyone,” Dr. Kennedy said. “We truly value our partnership with the St. Joseph School District and I look forward to working with them more and more closely for years to come.”

���߲����� and the St. Joseph School District recently announced a partnership to offer direct admission to ���߲����� for graduates of SJSD, the first partnership of its kind in the state. The foundation also cited ���߲�����’s expansion of dual-credit and early-college opportunities, creating on-campus experiences that connect high school learning to college momentum, and aligning workforce pathways with regional employers.

This is the first year for the SJSD Foundation Community Awards, which are designed to spotlight the people and partners who turn support into student success, and to inspire even more community engagement.��

In addition to Dr. Kennedy’s Beacon Award, the foundation presented its inaugural Trailblazer Award to Kristie Arthur, director of workforce development for the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce. The Trailblazer Award celebrates an SJSD alum whose leadership and impact open new doors for others. Arthur is a graduate of Central High School.

���߲����� is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. ���߲����� is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

Aug. 22, 2025–���߲����� and the St. Joseph School District have partnered to offer direct admission to ���߲����� for district graduates, starting with the Class of 2026. It’s the first partnership of its kind between a university and a school district in the state of Missouri.��

“This is a proud day,” said Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy, ���߲�����’s president. “This direct admission program creates new opportunities for graduates of the St. Joseph School District, and it sends a powerful message: we see you, we believe in you, and you belong here.”

“This partnership is a great opportunity for our students,” said Dr. Ashly McGinnis, superintendent of the St. Joseph School District. “Direct admission removes barriers and sends a clear message that higher education is within reach.”

Direct admission guarantees admission to graduates of Central, Benton and Lafayette High Schools that meet minimum academic criteria. Students just have to opt in to the program, complete a shortened application, and they will receive their direct admission letter.��

“Direct admission is about opening doors,” said Dr. Andy Otto, vice president of enrollment management and marketing. “It reduces the stress and anxiety often associated with the college admissions process, and makes the path to higher education clear, simple and free of unnecessary barriers.”

Interested St. Joseph School District seniors can opt in to ���߲����� Direct Admission at .��

���߲����� is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .��

Nov. 15, 2024–���߲�����, North Central Missouri College and numerous public and private partners formally cut the ribbon on the Houlne Center for Convergent Technology on Nov. 15.��

“The Houlne Center is a shining example of how Missouri Western serves as a career-focused university, for everyone,” said Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy, Missouri Western’s president. “From the very beginning, we sat down with leaders from industry and the community to determine what their workforce development needs are and how we can help. I am incredibly proud of the way that Missouri Western and NCMC have been responsive to those needs, aligning our academic experience with the expectations of students and employers.”

“We’re grateful for the partnership with Missouri Western, the State of Missouri, and the many other investors in this project,” said Dr. Lenny Klaver, NCMC president. “This facility was built with the future in mind, and I’m so grateful to the partners involved who saw that in this project. We thought of this idea a long time ago, and we did it, together, to prepare the workforce for today and tomorrow.”

The Houlne Center is a 20,000-square-foot learning laboratory that delivers practical, applied learning instruction in skilled manufacturing and construction professions as well as innovative service technologies like AI, robotics, GIS, sensor technologies, information technology and cybersecurity that drive those sectors and others. The Center is home to a broad range of certificate and degree programs as well as targeted workforce training, designed to meet the needs of incumbent workers. Its applied learning labs mimic the equipment and facilities used in factory floors and job sites.��

“This modern facility, and the partnerships it represents, sends a message that Missouri is a land of opportunity for both employers AND employees,” said Dr. Bennett Boggs, commissioner of the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development and a speaker at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “And as a result, Missourians will be competitive in the workforce, able to support their families, and positioned to prosper economically. This cutting-edge center is designed to prepare Griffons and Pirates for impactful careers in manufacturing and construction.”

The Center is named for Missouri Western alumnus Tim Houlne ’86, an entrepreneur, author and visionary in the field of artificial intelligence. Houlne is founder and CEO of Humach, a Dallas-based provider of AI technology-driven contact center solutions for hundreds of clients across a variety of industries and regions. He committed $3 million to the Center’s Project Fund, which will help support the Center’s launch and ongoing programs. It’s the third largest outright gift in Missouri Western’s history.

Houlne’s gift is emblematic of the private support that the project generated. All told, about 20 private firms and individuals have donated more than $7 million to the project.

“We are extremely grateful to all of our public and private partners for their unwavering support of the project,” said Marc Archambault, vice president for advancement and executive director of the MWSU Foundation. “One of the exciting things about this particular project is we had support not only for construction and equipping of the building, but for things like operating expenses, scholarship support and professorships that will make the Houlne Center sustainable and accessible to students.”

The Houlne Center consists of a large central shop area and four specialty bays, along with a conference room and gathering space. There are no offices in the Center; it is strictly an educational facility. Several areas of the Center have been named in recognition of donors:

• Gray Manufacturing Workshop Bay (the central shop area)
• Altec Manufacturing Technology Bay
• Triumph Foods and Daily’s Premium Meats Industrial Technology Bay��
• Humach Cyber Science Bay
• Nestle Purina Gathering Space
• Bradley Family Conference Room

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, $1.3 million in gifts were announced for the first time:��

• $250,000 from the Bradley Family for the Center’s general fund
• $100,000 from Nestle Purina for the Center’s general fund
• $500,000 from Herzog for workforce development scholarships for any engineering technology or cybersecurity student��
• $250,000 from the Beavers Charitable Trust for professorship funds
• $100,000 from Pete and Staci Gray for endowed scholarships
• $100,000 from Paul Gray for endowed scholarships

“I appreciate my peers for giving me the opportunity to serve in this key leadership role,” acknowledged Kennedy. “We have much to accomplish as we all work together to ensure public higher education excels in Missouri.”

COPHE is a nonprofit association comprised of the nine presidents of Missouri’s public four-year universities and the president of the State Technical College of Missouri.

The primary mission of COPHE is to support and advance the missions of its Missouri’s institutions, while increasing the understanding and appreciation of public higher education by state leaders and the public at-large.

Each year, these institutions serve nearly 100,000 students, focusing on the delivery of excellent undergraduate and graduate education, research, and service to the citizens of Missouri.

���߲����� is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit��.

May 23, 2023–A veteran of the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department will lead ���߲�����’s Law Enforcement Academy. Lonnie Bishop will begin his duties as commander of the LEA on June 16.

“The Law Enforcement Academy is an important way that we serve the region, training the people who keep our communities safe, so finding the right person to serve as commander is vital,” said Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy, Missouri Western’s president. “Lonnie Bishop’s extensive experience in law enforcement and training as well as his demonstrated leadership abilities will serve our cadets and our community well.”

“My goal is to implement three core values at the Academy: compassion, integrity and knowledge,” Bishop said. “I am most excited about working with the cadets and using my prior experiences to continue to grow the Academy.”��

Bishop has been an investigator with the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department since 2014, and has served as a part-time instructor in the Law Enforcement Academy since 2021. He retired as a captain in the U.S. Air Force after a combined 20 years of service in the Air Force and U.S. Navy. He has Bachelor of Information Science and Master of Information Science Management degrees from the University of Phoenix.

Missouri Western’s Law Enforcement Academy prepares cadets to become commissioned law enforcement officers. The academy is certified by the Missouri Department of Public Safety Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission and graduates are eligible for a POST certificate. Degree-seeking Missouri Western students can also earn college credit toward an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.��

The next class starts Monday, July 10. Applications are currently being accepted. For more information, visit missouriwestern.edu/academy.����

���߲����� is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .��

May 2, 2023–More than 400 graduates will be honored during ���߲�����’s Spring Commencement Ceremony at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 6 in the St. Joseph Civic Arena, 100 N. 4th Street in Downtown St. Joseph. The public is invited. Doors open at noon.

Missouri Western will confer 390 undergraduate and 37 graduate degrees this semester. Graduates come from Missouri and 19 other states, as well as nine foreign countries.

The guest speaker for the ceremony will be former U.S. Senator Roy Blunt, who retired earlier this year after two full terms in the Senate. A former college president at Southwest Baptist University, Sen. Blunt has been an advocate of higher education in general, and a friend to Missouri Western in particular. More than 30 years ago, when Sen. Blunt was the Missouri Secretary of State, Missouri Western named its annual Literacy Citation Award in his honor, and he faithfully returned nearly every year to present the award to local literacy champions. Following his retirement, Sen. Blunt donated many of the education-related awards he received during his career to Missouri Western. After a brief dedication ceremony the morning of May 6, the Roy Blunt Excellence in Education Exhibit will be displayed in the Missouri Western Library inside the Hearnes Center.

Also speaking at the ceremony will be graduating senior Caitlyn Thompson, a management major with an entrepreneurship concentration from Williamsburg, Kansas. As a student at Missouri Western, Thompson has worked as a resident assistant and a student mentor. She served the Student Government Association as the director of Griffs Giving Back.��

Other public commencement-related activities include:

• Honors Program Medal Ceremony, 4 p.m. Tuesday, May 2, Fulkerson Center
• International and Multicultural Sash Ceremony, 5:30 p.m. Friday, May 5, Hoff Conference Rooms, Blum Student Union rooms 218-219
• Nursing Pinning Ceremony, 8:30 a.m. Saturday, May 6, Fulkerson Center
• Physical Therapist Assistant Pinning Ceremony, 9 a.m. Saturday, May 6, Kemper Recital Hall, Spratt Hall room 101
• Alumni Commencement Reception, following the Commencement Ceremony Saturday, May 6, meeting rooms in the St. Joseph Civic Arena
• Law Enforcement Academy Graduation, 6 p.m. Friday, June 9, Enright Community Rooms, Spratt Hall rooms 214-216

���߲����� is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .��