Ray Kieft Appointed Interim President

The Metro State Board of Trustees voted June 28, 2003 to appoint Raymond N. Kieft as interim president.

"Ray will hit the ground running having 11 years of experience as a college president, eight with Mesa State College in Grand Junction and three with Framingham State College in Massachusetts," said chairman Bruce Benson. "He is familiar with Metro from his six years as the vice president of the state college system and understands the special role and mission that Metro enjoys. Ray knows Colorado higher education, the relationships among the Auraria institutions, and especially the important role Metro plays in metropolitan Denver. We are fortunate to have someone with his experience to help us make a transition in leadership of Metro."

Kieft, who will not be a candidate for the permanent position, has a doctorate from the University of Northern Colorado, a master's from Colorado State University and a bachelor's degree from Calvin College. He did post-doctorate work at Harvard University and held faculty positions at Central Michigan University and Wheaton College, was vice president for academic affairs at the University of New England and served as director of institutional and academic planning for the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems.

"During the first several months of my presidency at UNC, I sought Ray's advice on several matters," said Hank Brown, chief executive officer of the Daniels Fund and former president of the University of Northern Colorado. "His knowledge and experience of the workings of a campus were most helpful to me."

Lena Elliot, Grand Junction community leader, board member of the Mesa State College Board of Trustees and former Trustee of the Colorado Community College System, said: "Ray is an excellent choice for the interim president of Metro. Among his many accomplishments while president of Mesa State were the launching of the Unified Technological Educations Center, significant reduction in the administrative costs of the college and an increase in the academic quality of the college."