John W. Byrd, executive vice president at the University of Evansville, a private United Methodist-related institution of 2,400 students in Indiana, has been named the 22nd president of Simpson College, W. Steven Weeber, chairman of the Simpson College board of trustees announced today.

Byrd has served as the University of Evansville’s  second most senior administrative officer, providing oversight to strategic planning, fiscal affairs, enrollment management and student life. He succeeds R. Kevin LaGree, who served as Simpson’s president for six years, and will assume his duties in June 2005.

Plans call for Byrd to visit the Indianola campus in late March before he and his wife, Nancy, join the Simpson community. Contacted in Evansville, he said, “I’m certainly honored and delighted to be named Simpson’s president. Simpson’s great academic reputation and strong student-centered philosophy are very attractive to me, and I was absolutely moved by everyone’s commitment to excellence during my visit to campus.”

Interestingly, Byrd’s president at Evansville is Stephen Jennings, Simpson’s 20th president, who had an 11-year tenure at Simpson from 1987 to 1998. About Byrd Jennings said, “There’s no person in this country better positioned to serve Simpson than John Byrd. He and his wife Nancy have positive energy that is contagious and will be dedicated to an institution that Sally and I continue to cherish.”

At Simpson Byrd will provide administrative oversight to an institution of 1,450 full-time and 536 part-time students, 87 full-time faculty, a $39.8 million budget, $61 million endowment and a staff of 150.

He has served two tenures at the University of Evansville. From 1978 to 1995, he held a variety of positions including vice president for academic services and planning, and assistant professor of health education.

From 1995 to 2001 he was vice president for student affairs and assistant professor of health education at the University of Southern Indiana, a public university in Evansville with an enrollment of 9,900 students offering undergraduate and graduate education. There, Byrd oversaw admissions, financial aid, career planning, counseling, the multicultural center, student development programs and other departments.

Ray Hoops the president of University of Southern Indiana, said “John Byrd is going to be an exceptional president. He has a good sense of humor, calm demeanor and possesses a capacity to move things forward. He’s an extraordinarily solid administrator.”

In addition to his administrative appointments, Byrd has taught at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Southern Illinois University and University of Wisconsin-Superior.

He holds a Ph.D. in health education from Southern Illinois University; a master’s of education in health education from the University of Missouri. His undergraduate degree in physical education was received from the University of Missouri, as well.

In the Evansville community he has been quite active as a board member and volunteer in a variety of cultural and human services organizations, including the Metropolitan Evansville Chamber of Commerce, the Joshua Academy, the Evansville Association for the Blind, the Sisters of St. Benedict and the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra. He is a past president of the Evansville chapter of the American Red Cross.

He will be joined by his wife, Nancy, Vice President for Human Resources for Fifth Third Bank. She currently serves as the regional employee relations advisor for the bank’s southern region.

 “Nancy and I plan to become fully engaged in the campus and Indianola communities and look forward to learning more about the people, programs and values that define ‘The Simpson Experience,’” Byrd said.