A new face is in a leadership position at Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina.

According to KWU, Dr. Judy Holmes, is the new vice president of finance and chief financial officer. She will serve as the university’s lead on financial matters and will act as a member of the President’s Council.

“To have an accomplished higher education leader join Kansas Wesleyan’s leadership is uplifting,” said Dr. Matt Thompson, KWU president. “It’s even more so, however, when that individual is respected in the community as Dr. Holmes is. Judy’s experience, leadership in the region and commitment to higher education will bring a true vision to this mission-critical work.”

Holmes’ experience includes a decade as institutional president at Brown Mackie College in Salina, where she led financial and operational oversight for the regionally accredited, multi-state institution. Holmes developed and executed the budgeting process across four campuses and led financial reporting.

Prior to being elevated to institutional president, Holmes was the fiscal officer at Brown Mackie for seven years and the campus president for 11. She also worked as a consultant for multiple organizations related to consulting and accreditation.

Holmes is a long-time member of the KWU MBA program, having taught as an adjunct instructor since 2017. She has taught for Colorado State, Southern Nazarene, Point Loma Nazarene and Liberty University, as well.

“KWU is fortunate to have Judy Holmes in this role,” said Ken Oliver, executive vice president, who worked alongside Thompson to lead the search. “Her long-term knowledge of Salina and of the north-central Kansas region will be an asset as we look to deepen our relationships in the area. Her experience across numerous institutions will help us continually improve our processes and procedures in service of our students.”

“As an adjunct professor at KWU and longtime Salina resident, I’ve had the privilege of seeing the growth of Kansas Wesleyan these last few years,” said Holmes. “It’s a pleasure to step into the CFO position and to work alongside the leadership that’s made that growth possible, and I look forward to contributing to an even brighter future for the Coyotes.”

Holmes has worked with numerous community groups in her years in Salina, including Ashby House, the Salina Chamber of Commerce Workforce Development Committee and the former Salina Christian Academy, among others. She earned her doctorate of education in organizational leadership from Argosy University and her master’s from Baker College in Michigan. Her bachelor’s degree was from Friends University.

She began her work at KWU late last month.

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Photo via KWU