May 15, 2024
Dear Campus Community,
I hope this message finds you well as we celebrate the end of another exceptional academic year. Today, I write to share news of a transition on our leadership team. Mary Kreta, our esteemed vice president for enrollment management and strategic initiatives, has decided to accept an exciting opportunity to continue leading, growing and influencing institutional change as part of a global consulting company.
While we are sad to see Mary depart UM, we are excited for her as she pursues the next step in her career, and we are deeply grateful for the tremendously positive impact she's had on our campus and community over the past four years.
Since Mary's arrival in 2020, she has been an integral part of our community and a transformative leader undaunted by the challenges posed by an enrollment function that needed rebuilding. Mary brought to UM her sharp sense of strategy, her purposeful tenacity and her thoughtful team-building skills.
Mary changed the trajectory of enrollment at our university. Her leadership made possible six straight semesters of enrollment growth, significant improvements in our service to military and veteran communities and a data-driven, analytical approach to financial aid that not only increased our net tuition revenue but also created the opportunity for more Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ to attend UM.
Equally important, Mary has built a strong team that will sustain our momentum. Her leadership will continue to impact our campus through the solid foundation she leaves behind. Her hard work, dedication to UM and passion for serving Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ are reflected in the team she's built.
With Mary's departure, I am pleased to announce that Dr. Leslie Webb will step into the role of vice president for student success and enrollment management, which expands her scope of responsibility to include admissions, enrollment operations, financial aid and military and veteran services. In the coming days, we will launch a search for a new chief enrollment officer who will have direct oversight of the functional areas noted above and will report to Dr. Webb.
We are fortunate that Dr. Webb brings a wealth of experience and expertise to this position, having served in various leadership capacities within enrollment management and student affairs earlier in her career. While serving as a vice president at Boise State University, Leslie oversaw enrollment management, and her efforts there contributed to significant improvement in total enrollment, retention and graduation rates. She will work closely with our enrollment team to continue building on the progress we've made, and I am deeply grateful for her leadership and partnership.
Please join me in expressing our gratitude to Mary for her service to UM and in welcoming Leslie to her new role.
Sincerely,
Seth