Hired
Kimo Ah Yun – Marquette University (Wisc.)
Following the death of Marquette University President Michael Lovell this past summer, Kimo Ah Yun has served in the interim. Now, Ah Yun has been selected for the permanent position. He is the second layperson (behind Lovell) and first person of color to lead the Jesuit university.
Ah Yun, who has served as provost at Marquette since 2018, faces an upward climb to gain the trust of university faculty members, who are considering a vote of no-confidence against him and his leadership team, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Maquette plans to cut its budget by 7%, or $31 million, by 2031 to accommodate a budget shortfall and an anticipated decline in enrollment, according to the Marquette Wire. Faculty have reported burn out and stress related to the growing number of job vacancies.
Brooke Barnett – Rollins College (Fla.)
Brooke Barnett moves to Florida to lead Rollins College, effective July 2025, leaving her current post as provost and executive vice president at Butler University in Indiana. Among Barnett’s most resounding accomplishments at Butler were integrating well-being into the university-wide curriculum, creating mentorship opportunities and doubling endowment support for its communications school, according to Fox 35.
The Rev. David Joyce – Averett University (Va.)
Averett University will be making a swift leadership transition as long-time president Tiffany Franks retires in January, concluding a 17-year tenure. The Rev. David Joyce will immediately assume the job. He completed a nine-year run as president of Brevard College in 2021; before that, it was 10 years at Ripon College and eight at Union College.
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“Dr. Joyce is the right leader for Averett,” said Emma Maddux Kozlowski, vice chair of the Board of Trustees, per a university statement. “He understands the urgency to put Averett back on strong financial footing and will find innovative ways to maximize operational efficiency.
Daniel G. Lugo – Trinity College (Conn.)
Trinity College will find its next leader in Daniel Lugo, the sitting president of Queens University of Charlotte since 2019 and a first-generation college graduate. Lugo will bring his extensive experience in enrollment strategy to Trinity. At Queens, Lugo was commended for helping increase undergraduate applications by 50%.
Matt Parlow – Chapman University (Calif.)
Chapman University’s Board of Trustees has concluded that after a multi-month search for its 14th president, the best choice is to hire within the community: Matt Parlow, executive vice president, chief advancement officer and law school chair.
Parlow has accrued a strong track record over his past 12 years at Chapman, raising $400 million while also increasing the standing of the Dale E. Fowler School of Law on U.S. News and World Report’s rankings by more than 20 spots.
“To me, this is also personal,” said Parlow. “I love Chapman.”
Retiring
Jane Close Conoley – California State University Long Beach
Jane Close Conoley announced her plans to retire from California State University Long Beach at the end of the academic year. In the 10 years thus far of her tenure, Conoley has helped raise over half a billion dollars and grow enrollment by 12%. She’s also overseen the construction or expansion of over 10 campus buildings, including a new college.
Conoley has also been a fierce champion of accessibility. She opened a residence hall for students experiencing housing insecurity and established various initiatives aimed at welcoming its first-generation, black and LGBTQIA+ students.
“President Conoley has demonstrated herself to be an exceptionally skilled, highly principled and truly visionary leader—a person of wisdom, thoughtfulness, empathy and compassion,” said CSU Chancellor Mildred García.
David L. Kaufman – Capital University (Ohio)
David Kaufman, president of Capital University, will retire at the end of the academic year after being appointed interim president in July 2020 and earning the permanent role the following year. During his five years as president, Kaufman spurred a partnership with a neighboring community college that established a university pipeline for dual-enrolled learners, according to The Columbus Dispatch. He also created a tuition-match program to attract students interested in transferring institutions.
Jeanie Webb – Rose State College (Okla.)
Jeanie Webb will retire at the end of the academic year. Assuming she’s still in office by July 2025, Webb will have concluded a 12-year tenure at the Oklahoma community college. She helped establish Rose State as one of the few two-year colleges in the state to offer a bachelor’s degree. Some impressive academic programs recently added to their catalog include:
- Applied Technology in Cybersecurity
- Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Stepping down
Jill Baren – Lake Forest College (Ill.)
Jill Baren, president of Lake Forest College, has abruptly resigned after only two years in office. The announcement was communicated via email to students and faculty. No official explanation for the sudden departure has been communicated, Patch reports.
Ronald Johnson – Tennessee State University
Ronald Johnson, interim president of Tennessee State University, has resigned months before the end of his one-year appointment following growing financial issues at the land-grant HBCU, according to The Tennessean.
