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Kansas Board of Regents names Dr. Jennifer Von Trafke president and CEO
Summary
The Kansas Board of Regents voted unanimously during a retreat on 2026-04-28 to appoint Dr. Jennifer Von Trafke as the system's new president and CEO; the board praised outgoing leaders and emphasized the search prioritized student-centered, workforce-aligned leadership.
The Kansas Board of Regents voted unanimously on April 28, 2026, to appoint Dr. Jennifer Von Trafke as the board's next president and CEO, the chair announced at the start of a retreat business session.
A board member moved to appoint Dr. Von Trafke, outlining her academic leadership roles and commitment to access and experiential learning; the motion authorized the board to finalize employment paperwork. Chair Johnson called for a second, which was recorded in the meeting as coming from Regent Amor, and then announced the motion passed unanimously.
In remarks after the vote, Chair Johnson thanked outgoing leaders and expressed confidence that the new president would guide the statewide system forward. Dr. Von Trafke told the board she was "deeply honored by your confidence in me," said she looked forward to listening and strengthening relationships with the board, KBOR staff, institutions, policymakers and partners across Kansas, and emphasized positioning higher education to meet evolving state needs.
The board had framed the search as comprehensive and aligned with its strategic plan, seeking a leader with experience in access, completion, academic alignment with workforce needs, and financial management. The business meeting concluded and participants moved into retreat activities and lunch.
Votes and action: The motion to appoint Dr. Jennifer Von Trafke as president and CEO was moved (speaker 2), seconded (Regent Amor), and carried by unanimous voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.
