Chuck Johnson got to drop the interim from his title Tuesday morning as the Vincennes University Board of Trustees officially named him the 22nd president of Indiana's first college.
Johnson, the university's former provost, signed a three-year contract and said he looks forward to continuing the legacy left behind by his predecessor, Dick Helton, who retired this summer.
“He was a great mentor, a great leader,” Johnson said. “And I hope to aspire to be just as good.”
A search committee had been looking to fill the president’s position for months, and while Johnson was always a top candidate, it wasn’t until members met last month with key stakeholders from the university that their minds were totally made up.
Committee chairman Rick Schatz said the group met with the department deans, members of the faculty senate and various administrators, and all of them wanted to see Johnson continue in his role at the helm.
“He received overwhelming support,” Schatz said. “He made this a very, very easy decision for the board. He’s done an excellent job as interim and as provost. When you combine the collaboration he’s brought to the university and to get overwhelming support from the stakeholders, it’s impressive.
“I’m just very pleased to bring forward this motion.”
Board president John Stachura said he, too, was “pleased” to see Johnson named president after a long search.
“You’ve gotten your feet wet here,” he said. “And you are a big part of our mission, a mission that is headed in the right direction.
“We’re looking for bigger and better things.”
Johnson said he looked forward to a continued focus on growing enrollment and building the university’s industry programs and collaborative efforts. Great things are happening, he told the board, and he’s thankful to be a part of it all.
“I never thought I’d be president,” he said after the meeting with a smile. “But I’m pleased with every step in my career and every opportunity to grow.”
Johnson, a Washington native, came to VU in 2012 from Purdue University where he had served for more than 14 years overseeing internationally ranked graduate-level programs in the Krannert School of Management. He also served as a consultant to a start-up institution of higher education in Kuwait, the American University of the Middle East. And he served as a member of its board of advisors.
Prior to joining Purdue, Johnson worked in training and development and human resources for National City Bank in Toledo, Ohio, and in a variety of student and academic affairs and instructional positions for over 11 years at Bowling Green State University in Ohio.
He graduated from Washington Catholic High School prior to earning his degree in economics from Indiana State University He holds a master's degree in business administration from Bowling Green and received his doctorate in higher education administration from Purdue.
Johnson’s wife, Sarah Guerrettaz, is a Vincennes native, Rivet High School graduate, and VU alumna. They are the parents of two daughters.
Also Tuesday, Mike Sievers was named as the board’s first vice-chairman and Reggie Henderson the second vice-chair.
The board also approved the acceptance of Kimmell Park pending approval by the city council later this month.
VU’s plans are to spend $2.5 million to upgrade the park. The parks board approved gifting VU the park last month.
It will remain a public park as will the dock, said Phil Rath, VU’s vice resident of Finance and Government Affairs.
Rath said once renovations to the park are complete, they will build a walking path connecting it to the Jerry Blemker Baseball Field.
“We think [Kimmell Park] is one of our most beautiful assets yet it’s totally underutilized,” he told the board. “And we’ve received unbelievable support throughout the community. I think the term is, ‘excited.’”