Alan Turfe now leads WMU Board of Trustees
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Alan Turfe has been elected chair of the Western Michigan University Board of Trustees following a unanimous decision at the board’s Thursday, Feb. 12, meeting. He and Trustee Kelly Burris, who was elected vice chair Thursday, will lead the governing board in 2026.
“Thank you all for the trust you’ve placed in me. I’m honored to serve as your chair at this moment in our University’s history,” Turfe said upon his election.
“I also want to thank our outgoing Chair Edgerton for her leadership and steady fiduciary guidance for the past two years. This board and all of Western Michigan University are better today for Shelly Edgerton’s service,” Turfe said, adding that he looks forward to continuing to work closely with his fellow trustees; with Burris, the new vice chair; and with Dr. Kahler B. Schuemann, secretary to the board.
Turfe noted that WMU President Russ Kavalhuna is “clearly continuing as a champion to ensure that shared governance is our top priority and that our students are at the focal point of everything we do.”
Turfe takes up the gavel from Trustee Shelly Edgerton, who says that “it has been an honor and privilege to chair this board for three years of my tenure. Serving with trustees as we searched, appointed and transitioned our new president has been one of my greatest rewards in serving the WMU community. I have appreciated Alan being a supportive partner with me in our work on the board. He offers great experience and insights.
“We are in capable hands under the direction of Chair Turfe and Vice Chair Burris,” she adds.
Turfe brings extensive leadership experience across multiple industries, including automotive, e-commerce, metals, medical devices, biotechnology, life sciences and pharmacy. He began his career as a financial analyst at General Motors and went on to hold senior leadership roles in finance, operations, procurement, supply chain and sales.
As former chairman, president and CEO of J M Smith Corp., Turfe led the nation’s fourth-largest pharmaceutical distribution and technology company, with $3 billion in annual revenue. He also held executive positions with profit-and-loss responsibilities at Thermo Fisher Scientific, IDEX Corp., GM and Fresenius Medical Care.
Currently, he serves as chairman of Zoom Home Lending, the nation’s fifth-largest mortgage lending company, and on several boards, including for Perigon Health, Detroit Medical Center Rehabilitation Institute, the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy, the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine as well as Arkestro, the world’s top artificial intelligence company serving the procurement and supply chain industry.
Chair Turfe holds a Bachelor of Science degree and an MBA from the University of Michigan.
Turfe was first appointed to the board by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020 and served as vice chair since 2023 before his elevation to chair.
“I have truly valued the opportunity to work with Chair Turfe,” Kavalhuna says. “Having led a national company with $3 billion in revenue as CEO, in addition to his experience across multiple industries, he brings a practical, forward-looking perspective as we navigate a rapidly changing landscape in higher education. That ability to think across sectors and champion innovation helps position our System to serve students and our communities.”
Other WMU board officers elected to one-year terms at the Feb. 12 meeting were Schuemann, secretary to the board; Jan Van Der Kley, treasurer and assistant secretary; and Colleen Scarff, assistant treasurer. Schuemann is WMU’s chief of staff and interim vice president for advancement and executive director of the WMU Foundation. Van Der Kley is the University’s vice president for business and finance, and Scarff is associate vice president for business and finance.
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