McVay announces plans to retire

Longest serving WWU president plans to retire at end of academic year

Walla Walla University President John McVay announced on January 11 he will retire at the end of this academic year, after completing 44 years of service to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Eighteen of those years were spent at WWU, making him the longest serving president of the university.

“To serve Walla Walla University as its president for an extended period of time has been the great honor of my career, which has blessed—and stretched—me in a whole host of ways,” says McVay. “Successive senior leadership teams have been wonderful, supportive companions along the way. Faculty, staff, and students have offered both superb examples of dedication to the ideals of Seventh-day Adventist higher education and genuine friendship. Pam and I have found fulfillment and joy at WWU.”

When McVay became the university’s 23rd president in 2006, his first task was supervising the institution’s name change from Walla Walla College to Walla Walla

University. He led the university’s strategic planning efforts, earning a commendation from accrediting organizations, and instituted a long-range budget planning process that improved the university’s overall Composite Financial Index. He established a robust spiritual master planning process and implemented strategies to nurture faith and discipleship, and supported major campus improvements including renovations of the Winter Educational Complex and the Bowers Hall transformation.

“As Dr. McVay looks toward retirement, we celebrate his spiritually impactful tenure with us,” says John Freedman, chairman of the WWU Board of Trustees and president of the North Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. “His dedication to fostering a collaborative spirit and camaraderie has left an enduring mark on the Walla Walla University community.” Freedman notes a presidential search committee has been formed to begin the process of selecting a new Walla Walla University president.

Share a memory of well-wishes at wallawalla.edu/mcvay. For updates on the presidential search or to read more about McVay’s impactful tenure at WWU, visit wallawalla.edu/president.