St. Joe's President Lannon Announces End of Tenure

St. Joseph's University President Timothy R. Lannon announced on Friday, Sept. 10 that he will vacate his post as head of the university at the end of the current academic year.

Lannon, who has served as the school's president since 2003, will take over as president of Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska beginning July 1, 2011.

"What Fr. Lannon has brought to Saint Joseph's over the past seven years, and continues to bring, cannot be celebrated enough," Paul J. Hondros, St. Joseph's class of '70 and chair of the University's Board of Trustees, said in a press release. "As we embark on a new academic year, anyone who has worked closely with Fr. Lannon knows that he is not likely to rest until the last step of his own Saint Joseph's journey is complete."

President Lannon leaves the university toward the end of a major capital campaign that has raised $139 million to date toward its $150 million goal. The campaign is part of St. Joe's "Plan 2010: Path to Preeminence" initiative aimed at supporting the university's vision "to be recognized as the preeminent Catholic comprehensive university in the Northeast," according to the campaign's Web site.

As part of the initiative, St. Joseph's announced plans to nearly double the size of it's campus, hire 52 new faculty members and grow its endowment. One of Lannon's most recent projects was to approve the construction of a new 400-person residence hall for new students to be completed by July 2012.

Among the accomplishments listed during Lannon's tenure in the university's statement are: upgrading student housing and other facilities, growing the university's endowment to twice the size it was when he took over in 2003 and aggressive strategic planning to boost the university's academic standing among peer institutions. Lannon also oversaw the opening of the Pedro Arrupe Center for Business Ethics, the Catholic Bioethics Institute and the Kinney Center for Autism Education and Support, as well as a number of endowed faculty chairs and student scholarship programs.

Lannon's soon to be new employers said, "We set a very high bar for what we wanted and expected in our next president, including academic excellence, executive leadership, fundraising experience and more," Vice Chair of the Creighton Board of Directors and Chair of the Presidential Search Committee Bruce Rohde said in a press release. "Father Lannon is a perfect fit."

Lannon is an alumnus of Creighton University, as well as a former preparatory school president in Omaha.

“I thank Creighton University’s Board of Directors for the tremendous honor they have bestowed on me,” Lannon said in a press release. “While at Creighton many years ago, my life was transformed. Now I have the opportunity to come home and continue the visionary momentum of this institution. I am privileged to return to Omaha and join with the administration, faculty, staff, students and dedicated alumni as we together write the next chapter of educational excellence at this great university.”