Dear Colleagues,
I am excited to announce that Dr. Kimberly Nehls from the Lee Business School is joining my staff this fall as the new Senior Advisor to the President.
In this role, Kim will serve as a trusted advisor and strategic collaborator, supporting the implementation of our university’s shared vision and priorities, and working closely with my cabinet, deans, and others. She will oversee presidential initiatives and special projects as well as manage and coordinate the administrative operations of the president’s office.
Kim will represent me in both formal and informal capacities, upholding 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ’s mission and values and championing diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Hailing from Naperville, Illinois, Kim received her bachelor’s degree in political science and speech communications from the University of Illinois, her master’s degree in business administration from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, and her Ph.D. from 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ in Educational Leadership.
Prior to taking on this new role, Kim has spent the past several years as Assistant Dean of External Relations for the Lee Business School. In fact, she has spent 25 years here at 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ, which began in the late 1990s when her first office was in the basement of the Flora Dungan Humanities Building (FDH). She also served as an instructor for the College of Education, Lee Business School, and Greenspun College of Urban Affairs, and she spent more than a decade as the executive director for the Association for the Study of Higher Education.
As Kim noted, her career has come full circle as she returns to FDH in her new role in the president’s office. I look forward to adding her vast experience and strategic leadership skills to my administration.
Please join me in congratulating Kim on this new role.
Warm Regards,
Keith E. Whitfield, Ph.D.
51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ President