August 12, 2026–Missouri Western State University has announced the names of the finalists to be the University’s seventh president. The finalists will be on campus next week for in-person interviews. The interview schedule will include an open forum which will give students, faculty, staff and the public an opportunity to hear presentations and ask questions of the candidates.
“The presidential search committee is pleased to have solid finalists who know MoWest very well,” said Bill Grimwood, chair of the Board of Governors and the search committee. “The on-campus interview process will give our campus community and supporters an opportunity to get to know each candidate better and provide us with feedback as we consider the best fit for the University.”
The candidates are listed below with their interview date, time and location. Additional information is available at missouriwestern.edu/presidential-search/.
Dr. Jay Johnson
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Missouri Western State University
1:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 17, Kemper Recital Hall, Spratt Hall room 101
Dr. Jay Johnson has been the provost and vice president for academic affairs at Missouri Western State University, where he also is a tenured associate professor in the Craig School of Business, since January 2025. In addition to his service at MoWest, Dr. Johnson has served in several roles during his 22-year career that includes being an associate provost at Northwest Missouri State, a business dean at Fontbonne University, business management department chair at North Central Missouri College, MBA program director at both Benedictine College and Friends University, and a variety of other faculty roles. Prior to joining higher education, Dr. Johnson was a farmer in Gallatin, Missouri on his family farm, which is still in operation. Dr. Johnson holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Missouri-Columbia, an MBA from William Woods University, and a BA in Business/Marketing from Truman State University.
Dr. Lenny Klaver
President, North Central Missouri College
1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 19, Kemper Recital Hall, Spratt Hall room 101
Dr. Lenny Klaver began serving as President of North Central Missouri College (NCMC) in May of 2016. He has led the development of three consecutive comprehensive strategic plans. Under Dr. Klaver’s leadership, NCMC has expanded its academic and athletic program arrays and increased community engagement. In August 2023, the college opened a state-of-the-art satellite campus in Savannah, MO and in January of 2026, NCMC opened a new student center. Cumulative enrollment has increased 24% in the past 5 years and 17% during his tenure at the college during which time NCMC also graduated its four largest classes in history. Under his leadership and expertise, NCMC recently completed a successful capital campaign exceeding the original goal as set forth in the feasibility study. Dr. Klaver has served as a Vice President/Vice Chancellor at universities in Michigan and Wisconsin, respectively. In addition, he was a tenured faculty member at Wayne State College and the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Klaver earned his doctorate in Educational Administration from the University of Northern Colorado in 1994 where his dissertation on Transformative Leadership received the prestigious Graduate Dean’s Citation for Excellence award.
Editor’s Note: Media Availability
As each situation allows, the finalist may be available for brief media interviews following their public forum, from 2:30 to 2:40 p.m. Members of the media interested in scheduling an interview should contact Kent Heier at kheier@missouriwestern.edu and Liby Waltemath at lwaltemath@missouriwestern.edu.
Missouri Western State University is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. MoWest is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit missouriwestern.edu.