Leadership updates
Dr. Danyelle Gregory named vice president for institutional culture and campus experience
Dr. Danyelle Gregory has been named vice president for institutional culture and campus experience, updating her title and removing the interim designation.
Gregory returned to her alma mater in 2023 and has helped strengthen student success efforts, evaluate the division’s strategic goals and better align equity and inclusion work across campus.
“Danyelle has led the division with real skill and has earned the trust of students and colleagues alike,” Kavalhuna says.
Dr. Barry Olson named interim vice president for student affairs
Dr. Barry Olson has been named interim vice president for student affairs, effective Jan. 1, as we prepare for Dr. Diane Anderson’s retirement at the end of this calendar year.
Olson joined Western in 2021 as associate vice president for student affairs. His work has included a central role in the WMU Student Center and Valley Oaks projects, as well as key elements of the Empowering Futures Gift.
A new senior leadership structure
Under the updated structure, the President’s Cabinet will become smaller and more focused on institutionwide strategy and major decisions.
Western is also creating a Senior Leadership Council that brings together leaders from across the University. Council members remain part of WMU’s senior leadership team and will continue to work closely with the cabinet, the president and colleagues from across the University.
President’s Cabinet
- Russ Kavalhuna, President
- Dr. Chris Cheatham, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
- Jessie Clemence, Director of the President’s Staff
- Jeff Breneman, Senior Vice President for External Relations
- Keith Hahn, Senior Vice President for Institutional Integrity and General Counsel
- Carlos Rodriguez, Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President for Business and Finance (as of Oct. 1)
- Dr. Remzi Seker, Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation
Senior Leadership Council
- Dr. Diane Anderson, Vice President for Student Affairs
- Paula M. Davis, Associate Vice President for Strategic Communications
- Dr. Danyelle Gregory, Vice President for Institutional Culture and Campus Experience
- Andrew Holmes, Chief Information Officer
- Dr. Barry Olson, Interim Vice President for Student Affairs (as of Jan. 1)
- Tony Proudfoot, Vice President for Marketing and Strategic Communications
- Elaine Russell, Interim Athletic Director and Vice President
- Stacy Thinnes, Secretary to the Board of Trustees and Special Assistant to the President
- Jan Van Der Kley, Vice President for Business and Finance
- Jennifer Yelovina, Interim Vice President for University Advancement
Aligning work around student success
Several reporting relationships will also change as part of the new structure.
The vice president for student affairs will report to the provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. This brings academic and co-curricular responsibility for student success together and supports a more connected student experience from recruitment through graduation.
The vice president for institutional culture and campus experience will report to the senior vice president for institutional integrity and general counsel, connecting the University’s work around access, belonging for all and student success with related equity, policy and compliance functions.
The vice president for marketing and strategic communications will report to the senior vice president for external relations, bringing marketing, communications and external engagement under common leadership.
The vice president for university advancement and vice president of athletics will continue to report directly to the president. The chief information officer will continue to report to the provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.
Building for Western’s future
The changes are designed to make it easier for teams to work together, clarify decision-making and help Western respond more quickly in a changing higher education environment.
They are not cost-saving measures and do not diminish the importance of advancement, athletics, diversity and inclusion, marketing and communications, student affairs, or any other area of the University.
The goal is a leadership structure that better connects Western’s people, priorities and work in support of students and the University’s future.
Administrative Redesign info sessions
President Kavalhuna and the leaders of the five Administrative Redesign initiatives will hold information sessions later this month to provide updates and answer questions about the work underway. The in-person sessions are scheduled for the following times:
- Tuesday, Sept. 22, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in Brown Hall, Room 2028
- Monday, Sept. 28, from 10:30 a.m. to noon in Sangren Hall, Room 1920
These sessions will provide an opportunity to:
- Review why these efforts were identified as priorities.
- Hear where work currently stands across the five Administrative Redesign initiatives.
- Ask questions and share perspectives about the ongoing work.
