Hired
Suresh Garimella – University of Arizona
University of Vermont President Suresh Garimella will be switching coasts later this fall after the Board of Regents at the University of Arizona slated him as its next president. Renowned for his faculty and research focus, Garimella raised the budget of Vermont’s research branch by 23% in an effort to reach R1 status, Seven Days reports. The new Arizona president, who replaces Robert Robbins after the state flagship discovered a jaw-dropping budget deficit last November, will head a research unit that expends about four times more than Vermont.
Dan Kelting – Paul Smith’s College (N.Y.)
Dan Kelting, interim president of Paul Smith’s College November 2022, has been granted full control of the institution after the board of directors named him permanent leader.
The 14th president takes over at a pivotal time as the 78-year-old upstate New York institution attempts to “rebrand” itself amid declining enrollment. Kelting is ramping up student success initiatives and scholarship offers to attract regional graduating high schoolers. He is also working to expand employment opportunities by introducing vocational training programs with help from the Manhattan-based non-profit Fedcap, Adirondack Explorer reports.
Stephen Waers – Milligan University (Tenn.)
Milligan University, a private Christian school, has found its next faith-based leader in Stephen Waers, the current chief academic officer at Point University in Georgia. Waers plans to build off the momentum generated by retiring president Bill Greer, who expanded its academic offerings and raised a historic $100 million across his 13-year tenure.
Retiring
Barbara Altmann – Franklin and Marshall College (Pa.)
Barbara Altmann, Franklin and Marshall College’s first female president, announced she would be retiring in July 2025. She will have served the liberal arts college for seven years when she steps down.
Altmann is credited with leading Franklin and Marshall’s biggest fundraising campaign, scoring $220 million for the institution, Lancaster Online reports. She will take this time to reorient herself around personal pursuits, including writing a scholarly book.
Waded Cruzado – Montana State University
Montana State University has big shoes to fill with Waded Cruzado’s retirement announcement. When she finishes her 15-year tenure in June 2025, Cruzado will have left Montana State setting records for enrollment, persistence and graduation rates, research and fundraising—to name a few critical metrics.
Sherilyn Emberton – Huntington University (Ind.)
Sherilyn Emberton marks another example of a university that, at the end of the academic year, will also lose a longtime president who excelled at her work. In Emberton’s 12 years as Huntington University’s president, enrollment and endowment grew by 34% and 35%, respectively, Inside Indiana Business reports.
Mark Lombardi – Maryville University (Mo.)
Then there’s Mark Lombardi, who has helped increase Maryville University’s enrollment to over 9,000 students—a 200% increase since he took the helm in 2007. He, too, plans to retire in June 2025 to complete an 18-year tenure.
More from UB: College search: What you need to know about parents’ roles
The crux of Maryville’s success comes from its early “digital first” launch of over 60 online degree programs and a workforce development program—all loaded with free digital course materials and textbooks, according to a school statement. The university, under Lombardi’s leadership, also became an early leader in offering life coaching mentors to undergraduate students, which is slowly becoming a key factor in bumping student retention rates.
Cheryl Green – Governors State University (Ill.)
Cheryl Green has decided to put her health above her commitment as leader of Governors State University following ongoing cancer treatment that began last year. She steps down in March to dot a five-year tenure as president and a 37-year career in higher education, Homewood-Flossmoor Chronicle reports.
John Pistole – Anderson University (Ind.)
John Pistole will retire from the world of higher education on June 1—his birthday—after a 10-year run as president of Anderson University. The Christian-based university added 17 undergraduate programs under Pistole’s leadership and raised $7 million in grants, Herald Bulletin reports.
An experienced leader, Pistole is a former deputy director of the FBI and was assigned by Barack Obama to help lead the Transportation Security Administration.
Stepping down
Minouche Shafik – Columbia University
Nearly four months after a Congressional hearing on campus antisemitism, Minouche Shafik announced her immediate resignation, citing the abuse she and her family have endured.
Read University Business’ coverage here.
Among community college leaders retiring, we have Robert H. Sandel of Virginia Western Community College and Annette Parker, president of South Central Community College in Minnesota.
