Burris elected new vice chair of WMU Board of Trustees
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Trustee Kelly Burris, B.S.’88, has been named vice chair of the Western Michigan University Board of Trustees following a unanimous decision at the board’s Thursday, Feb. 12, meeting. She joins Trustee Alan Turfe, elected chair Thursday, as the board’s new leadership team.
“I love Western Michigan University. It is an honor to take on this role at a time when higher education is both challenged and full of opportunity,” Burris says.
“I look forward to continuing this work with my fellow trustees, President Kavalhuna and the campus community to ensure we are strong stewards of Western and that our decisions as a board continue to expand opportunity and success for our Broncos.”
Burris was first appointed to the Board of Trustees by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2023 to fill the remaining term of a vacated seat, and she was reappointed in 2024 to an eight-year term.
“Although Trustee Burris has already served the board with distinction, the vice chair role brings new opportunities for engagement,” says the outgoing board chair, Shelly Edgerton, who has also served as the board’s vice chair. “I found that working more directly with our shared governance partners—the Faculty Senate and student leadership—was especially insightful, and I’m excited for her to experience that same connection as she steps into this role.”
Vice Chair Burris, a WMU alumna, has a distinguished career spanning intellectual property law and the aerospace industry. She is the owner and founder of Burris Law, PLLC, based in Detroit. Her practice focuses on representing clients before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Prior to practicing law, she spent more than 11 years as an aerospace engineer with McDonnell Douglas and Boeing.
A licensed pilot since 1985, Burris volunteers with Angel Flight Central and Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic, nonprofit organizations that provide free air transportation to medical patients in need.
She earned a Bachelor of Science in aerospace engineering from WMU, a master’s degree in materials science and engineering from Washington University, and a law degree from Saint Louis University.
“As an alum, Vice Chair Burris understands firsthand the transformative power of this University, and that perspective clearly shapes her approach to board service,” says WMU President Russ Kavalhuna. “Drawing on the discipline and leadership she has developed as a business owner, certified pilot and former championship Bronco student-athlete, she brings focus, dedication and a deep commitment to expanding opportunity and strengthening outcomes for our students and communities.”
Other WMU board officers elected to one-year terms at the Feb. 12 meeting were Dr. Kahler B. 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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