Presidential Search

Appointment of Interim President

kheier — Wed, 06 May 2026 15:00:38 +0000

A Message from the Board of Governors

May 6, 2026

Dear Griffons,

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

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

To ensure continuity and steady leadership, the Board has appointed Patt Lilly as Interim President of ��ý, 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 ��ý 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 ��ý 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.

��ý 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
��ý

A message from the MWSU Board of Governors

kheier — Fri, 01 May 2026 21:56:40 +0000

May 1, 2026

Good afternoon,

I have some bittersweet news to share with you. After six years of dedicated service, Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy has announced her retirement.

I want to be the first to thank Dr. Kennedy for her service to the university, to our community and to the region. Let us acknowledge we are in a better place because of Elizabeth and her leadership.

Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy was named ��ý’s sixth president on February 25, 2021 after serving six months as Interim President. Under President Kennedy’s tenure at ��ý Western, we have seen the ��ý Nursing program rise to be the best in ��ý. We have claimed our rightful spot at #1 in Social Mobility among ��ý public universities, recognized by US News & World Report’s 2026 Best Colleges report; as Elizabeth says, “we help more people attain the American Dream than any other institution in the State, and I am most proud of that accomplishment.”

We have witnessed Dr. Kennedy’s vision for the future of workforce development through the building of the Houlne Center for Convergent Technology. She brought together leaders of government, business, industry, and education to partner in the powerful workforce engine. The Houlne Center attracted $20 million in funding from both the public and private sectors, including one of the University’s largest outright financial gifts to date.

As president, she not only guided the University through a financial emergency, she stayed true to her priority of student success and methodically worked to align the University with its mission focus on applied learning. Dr. Kennedy launched new programs to meet student-demand and employer need, such as Respiratory Therapy, Allied Health Management, Cybersecurity, Public Planning & Administration, Master of Social Work and Master of Education. She also spearheaded a Direct Admit program making it easier for high school students to apply at ��ý. Under her leadership, the University’s strategic plan, Building a Premier Regional Public University 2026-2030 was developed and launched in January of this year.

Most recently, the University launched a Corporate Education Program which provides its partners with a discount on tuition for employees, their spouses, and dependents. Triumph Foods, our first Corporate Education Program partner, is now joined by the St. Joseph School District, The City of St. Joseph, Elanco Animal Health, Altec, ��ý National Guard Association, St. Joseph Catholic Academy, Summit Truck Bodies and Mosaic Life Care.

Additionally, Dr. Kennedy secured $2.5 million in funding to modernize the ��ý Library in the Hearnes Center and leveraged $1.2 million in donor funding to attract a nearly 1:1 match from the State’s MoExcels program for nearly $2.4 million total in renovations to Potter Hall.

Dr. Kennedy was appointed to the ��ý Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development Commissioner’s Advisory Group in 2022 and was elected as the vice-chair of the Council on Public Higher Education in ��ý in 2022 and chair in 2024. She serves on several boards of directors, including the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce, the St. Joseph Community Alliance, Innovation Stockyard, the Hillyard Technical Center Advisory Council Executive Board, Mosaic Life Care, and Mosaic Life Care Foundation, as well as the Imagine St. Joseph 2040 Implementation Review Team, the MIAA CEO Council and was co-chair of the MIAA Constitution Task Force.

With nearly 30 years in higher education, Dr. Kennedy began her career as an Assistant Professor, rising through the ranks to Professor, and then transitioning into upper administrative roles before arriving at ��ý as a Vice Provost in January 2020. President Kennedy will end service to the University on June 30, 2026. The Board will immediately begin the search for an interim president; for the sake of continuity, we are hopeful to have someone in place soon.

Sincerely,

Bill Grimwood, Chair
��ý Board of Governors

Presidential search committee names three finalists

kheier — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 22:08:21 +0000

Feb. 26, 2019—The presidential search committee at ��ý has announced the names of three finalists to be the University’s fifth president. The finalists will be on campus for in-person interviews in early March. The interview process includes an open forum where all students, faculty, staff and the community can hear a presentation from the candidates and ask questions.

“We had an outstanding pool of candidates with a broad range of experiences, and are very excited to have these three finalists visit campus,” said David Liechti, chair of the ��ý Western Board of Governors and the search committee. “The feedback the campus and community provide us through the interview process will be an important consideration, so we encourage people to attend the forums and let us know what they think.”

��ý Western is seeking a successor to Dr. Robert Vartabedian, who announced last August that he would retire at the end of June, 2019 after eleven years as president.

More information, including each candidate’s curriculum vitae, can be found at www.missouriwestern.edu/presidential-search.

Recruitment phase of the search has begun

kheier — Tue, 04 Dec 2018 03:23:31 +0000

The search committee met on Monday, December 3, 2018. The recruitment phase of the search has begun and review of applications will begin immediately. The position will be posted with a variety of professional journals and on professional recruitment websites. The search committee will meet again in early January to discuss and continue to evaluate candidates. The position ad is included in the Leadership Profile.

Presidential Search Forums

kheier — Fri, 26 Oct 2018 18:53:40 +0000

The ��ý Board of Governors will welcome AGB Executive Search Consultants, Garry Owens, Ph.D. and Kimberly Templeton, J.D., to campus to meet with students, faculty, administrators, alumni and community members to learn more about what ��ý Western is looking for in its next president. There will be two open forums as part of the process at 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 5, in the Kemper Recital Hall, Spratt Hall room 101. This input will be important as we begin developing the profile of our ideal president, and we very much appreciate your participation in one of the forums. Thank you.

Board receives clean audit, approves search firm contract

kheier — Fri, 26 Oct 2018 03:58:40 +0000

The Board of Governors at ��ý accepted an unmodified, or “clean,” opinion of the University’s financial statements from auditors BKD. There were no findings of material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in the audit.

“The audit is a team effort involving units all across campus,” said Dr. Cale Fessler, vice president for financial planning and administration. “Accounting standards are frequently changing and can be pretty complex, especially for federal programs like financial aid. I’m proud of our team’s hard work to make sure we do things the right way, and gratified to see it pay off with a clean audit opinion.”

“From the board’s perspective, hats off to management for a job well done,” said David Liechti, chair of the Board of Governors.

The audit noted no unusual accounting policies, no disagreements with management and no difficulties encountered during the audit.

Also Thursday, the Board gave final approval to a contract with AGB Search to help conduct the search for ��ý Western’s next president. The search firm will work with the board-appointed search committee to coordinate the search process, including preparing and implementing a transition plan for the new president. AGB will be paid a fee equal to one-third of the new president’s base salary for the first year. ��ý Western’s current president, Dr. Robert Vartabedian, has announced his plans to retire July 1, 2019.

��ý is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. ��ý Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.

Board selects search firm

kheier — Wed, 10 Oct 2018 01:19:22 +0000

The Board of Governors at ��ý authorized its chairman to negotiate a contract with AGB Search from Washington, D.C. to assist in the search for the next president of the university.

The Board heard presentations from four search firms during a special meeting on Oct. 8, including AGB; R. William Funk, of Dallas, Texas; Greenwood/Asher of Miramar Beach, Florida; and Academic Search of Washington, D.C.

Once a contract is finalized, AGB will conduct listening sessions on campus to determine what ��ý Western is looking for in its next president, then recruit candidates, assist with the interview process and provide up to a year of transition support once the new president takes office.

��ý Western is seeking to replace Dr. Robert Vartabedian, who has announced his plans to retire on July 1, 2019 after 11 years as ��ý Western’s president. A 23-member search committee will hold its first meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 9 in the Blum Student Union Private Dining Room.

Presidential search committee schedules first meeting

kheier — Thu, 04 Oct 2018 01:18:35 +0000

The search committee to select the next president of ��ý will hold its first meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 9 in the Blum Student Union Private Dining Room. The meeting is open to the public.

The search committee is comprised of Board of Governors members, students, faculty, staff, administrators and community members. The 23 members include:

Board of Governors: Dave Liechti, Al Purcell, Debbie Smith, Student Governor Paul Granberry III

Students: Austen Hall

Faculty: Dr. Mike Cadden, Dr. Jennifer Hegeman, Dr. Mark Mills, Dr. Dan Shepherd

Administrators: Josh Looney, Carey McMillian, Latoya Muhammad, Dr. Bob Willenbrink

Staff: Kathy Kelly, Fred Nesslage

Community Members: Drew Brown, Pete Gray, Todd Meierhoffer, Charlie Shields, Kylee Strough, Julee Thompson, Bob Wollenman and Seth Wright

The committee is seeking to replace Dr. Robert Vartabedian, who has announced his plans to retire on July 1, 2019 after 11 years as ��ý Western’s president.

Meetings of the presidential search committee will be posted as public meetings, but portions of meetings may be closed under exemptions authorized by the ��ý Sunshine law.

Board discusses presidential search

kheier — Fri, 07 Sep 2018 01:17:01 +0000

The Board of Governors at ��ý met in special session to discuss the process for selecting the next president of ��ý Western.

The Board voted to appoint a search committee of up to 24 people, chaired by David Liechti, chairman of the Board of Governors. Three other governors will join Liechti on the committee: voting members Al Purcell and Debbie Smith and student representative Paul Granberry III. The remainder of the committee will be comprised of faculty, staff, administrators and members of the community.

The search committee will evaluate presidential applicants and help identify finalists to bring to campus for interviews. The ultimate decision on hiring the next president will be made by the Board of Governors.

The Board also asked Dr. Jeanne Daffron, provost emerita, to serve as an executive liaison to the search committee, providing appropriate administrative support.

Finally, the Board voted to hire a search firm to help guide the process. ��ý Western will issue a request for qualifications to search firms in the near future.

Dr. Robert Vartabedian, ��ý Western’s president since 2008, will retire next July.

President Vartabedian plans to retire in July 2019

kheier — Sat, 25 Aug 2018 01:16:15 +0000

Dr. Robert A. Vartabedian, president of ��ý, has announced his plans to retire effective July 1, 2019. David Liechti, chairman of ��ý Western’s Board of Governors, said that Dr. Vartabedian informed the Board of his plans during a closed session yesterday, and he announced his intentions to campus in an e-mail this morning.

“I have been truly honored to serve as ��ý Western’s president for over a decade,” Dr. Vartabedian said. “These have been by far the most gratifying years of my long career in higher education. For a first-generation college student like myself to have this kind of capstone career opportunity was a dream come true for me.”

Dr. Vartabedian and his wife, Dr. Laurel Vartabedian, plan to spend more time with family, including their children and grandchildren in Texas. He announced his retirement nearly a year early to give the University time to find a successor.

“Bob and Laurel’s contributions to ��ý Western and the St. Joseph area will be felt for many years to come,” Liechti said. “Bob is a great leader and tireless worker with a vision and commitment to advance the University. Both he and Laurel have immersed themselves in the community and been great ambassadors for ��ý Western. The bar is set very high for whoever follows.”

The Board of Governors immediately began discussions about the search process, Liechti said. “Hiring a president is the Board’s most important job, and we want to move quickly and effectively to find the right person,” Liechti said.

Dr. Vartabedian became ��ý Western’s fourth president on July 1, 2008, and he is the longest-tenured current president among public universities in ��ý. The campus has grown in a number of ways under his leadership, but he is quick to credit others.

“��ý Western accomplished many great things during my time here, but the University also accomplished many great things before my time here, and will accomplish many more after I leave,” Dr. Vartabedian said. “The real work has been done by the dedicated people of this University: the faculty, staff, students and alumni who take such great pride in being Griffons, and our many community partners who have made our work possible.”

Among the highlights of Dr. Vartabedian’s more than 10 years as president so far:

All academic accreditation outcomes have been successful.
The endowment of the ��ý Foundation has nearly tripled since 2009, from approximately $12.5 million to more than $34 million.
��ý Western became the summer training camp home of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2010, attracting nearly 350,000 visitors to the campus and community.
Griffon athletic programs have won numerous conference championships and competed in national tournaments while remaining free of any major infractions and recently establishing the highest overall GPA in the athletic department’s history.
The creation of the Walter Cronkite Memorial in 2013, including three live multi-media shows.
Other new or substantially renovated facilities include:
- Agenstein-Remington Hall
- Kit Bond Science and Technology Incubator
- Spring Sports Complex
- Griffon Indoor Sports Complex
- Spratt Stadium, including a massive video board and most recently the Bill Snyder Pavilion
- Griffon Hall
- Kelley Commons
- Thomas Eagleton Indoor Pool
- Looney Complex Arena
The establishment of an innovative entrepreneurship partnership with benefactor Steve Craig to provide business opportunities across the country to approximately 30 alumni so far.
A tenfold increase in the number of international students.
A tenfold increase in the number of online courses.
Donations of three significant collections:
- Hundreds of one-of-a-kind artifacts from the life and career of Walter Cronkite
- Approximately 100 sculptures from renowned artist Brent Collins
- Approximately 1,200 limited edition prints from a retired art faculty member

Prior to joining ��ý Western, Dr. Vartabedian served as vice president for academic affairs at Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, New Mexico. Previously, Dr. Vartabedian was dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina from 1999 to 2005, serving eight months as interim vice chancellor for academic affairs in 2004. Previous administrative experience for Dr. Vartabedian includes time as a department head and director of graduate studies in communication at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas and as a division head, coordinator of graduate studies in communication and assistant dean of graduate studies at Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. He received numerous teaching awards throughout his career.

Dr. Vartabedian graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication from California State University, Fresno, in 1974. He received a Master of Arts in Speech Communication from Wichita State University and a doctorate in communication from the University of Oklahoma.