President Montgomery forges legacy of student success

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—One of the most powerful early demonstrations of President Edward Montgomery’s passion for the unique value Western Michigan University offers students didn’t come during a major public announcement but at a Make a Difference Award ceremony honoring WMU’s stellar staff.

Eric McConnell, who chairs the awards committee and serves as University ombuds, remembers the moment well. It was one of his first interactions with the nationally renowned labor economist who served in two U.S. presidential administrations and had a 35-year academic career before joining WMU as its ninth president.

What would this new leader say to a group of awardees he barely knew?

McConnell recalls that Montgomery spoke not just as the University’s new president congratulating staff for their awards but as a parent whose son had immeasurably benefited from WMU’s holistic, experience-driven education.

It was a speech of gratitude to staff who had helped shape an educational environment where not only his son, EJ, could thrive but the thousands of students who come to WMU in pursuit of a transformative college experience.

“What matters most are the people,” McConnell remembers Montgomery saying. “The faculty and staff whose dedication and commitment make students feel like they belong here, like they want to remain here at WMU and graduate as Broncos.”

That moment typifies a presidency that back then and ever since has been focused on student success as empowered by the exemplary faculty and staff who make Western’s long-standing motto, “So that all may learn,” a reality every day.

It’s no wonder, then, that commencement ceremonies are Montgomery’s favorite occasions throughout the year. That rite of passage for students is the purest, most visible distillation of Western’s mission to transform lives.

It’s when all the behind-the-scenes efforts—the teaching and learning, the student support services, the strategic planning, faculty and staff empowerment, student-centered campus improvement projects and the cutting-edge research that both informs instruction and improves the world—culminates in a deeply satisfying moment: Broncos crossing the Miller Auditorium stage headed for meaningful careers and fulfilling lives.

“That’s what this University was created to do: to help Broncos tap their potential,” Montgomery says. “And when they walk across that stage, that door is open—and the sky is their limit.”

Empowering Broncos

The June 2025 commencement ceremonies are among Montgomery’s last official acts as president, as he is retiring on June 30 after eight years that included presiding over 24 such ceremonies and shaking the hands of nearly 40,000 graduates.

It’s a fitting finish for WMU’s ninth president, as seeing students succeed has always been at the heart of his leadership.

That’s why, for Dr. Diane Anderson, vice president for student affairs, WMU’s Empowering Futures Gift exemplifies Montgomery’s tenure.

Four years into his presidency, in 2021, Montgomery announced this nationally historic $550 million gift, which still stands as the largest philanthropic contribution for a public university in U.S. history.

Student-centered, transformational and responsive to today’s learners, the gift and the initiatives it is funding has enabled WMU to build an ecosystem of financial aid and programmatic support that meets students where they are and helps them pursue their ambitions. 

“The gift represented an unprecedented investment in and commitment to this campus. And receiving it was no doubt due to the leadership of President Montgomery,” Anderson says. 

“It’s a remarkable commitment by the donors, born from a belief in the power of education to create social mobility and change lives—not just during a student’s college years but for their lifetimes.” 

Always loath to take any credit, Montgomery concedes that the Empowering Futures Gift was one of the most inspiring and transformational moments in WMU’s history and in his own as a higher education leader. 

“Jaw-dropping” is how he describes it—and for good reason. Any one of the gift’s components would have been extraordinary on their own: a record-setting $50 million for Bronco Athletics, a historic $200 million for the University proper and an unprecedented $300 million for WMU Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine. 

Montgomery still joyfully recalls his reaction after learning that incredibly generous, anonymous alumni donors wanted to bless WMU with such a remarkable contribution. 

“I jumped on Google,” he says with a laugh. “I wanted to see if this was the largest gift ever given for a public university.” 

What struck him even more than the dollar amount was what the gift represented: an extraordinary expression of confidence in WMU, its mission and its impact on the students and the community it serves. 

“It was humbling,” he says. “The donors’ generosity was a vote of confidence in our ability to change lives.”

Historic gift supports students in meaningful ways 

For Montgomery, the power of the gift isn’t found in the headlines it generated—though it was covered by The Washington Post and news outlets across the country and state—but in the tangible outcomes it made possible for current and future Broncos. 

Today, WMU is setting record retention and graduation rates, narrowing the achievement gap and expanding access for students from all backgrounds. And in a goal set by Montgomery in his fall 2023 State of the University address, WMU aims to be ranked among the top three higher education institutions in Michigan for student success. During the spring commencement ceremony, he conferred nearly 2,100 degrees and nearly 1,000 more degrees are expected to be conferred at the summer commencement ceremony in June—all beneficiaries of the Empowering Futures Gift, whether through financial aid or student support. 

These investments in student success have improved lives, reduced debt and helped graduates launch careers. Achieving these strides has been a cross-campus effort, Montgomery says. 

“It’s amazing what they’ve put in place,” Montgomery says. “They’ve made the gift operational and have baked it into our DNA, so this school of choice is different because of the felt experience they helped create.” 

While the Empowering Futures Gift initiatives may be the cornerstone of WMU’s recent progress in student support programming and resources, the University has also seen a more physically tangible transformation under Montgomery’s tenure. 

These efforts “took thousands of people working every day to make it happen,” the outgoing president asserts.

New and renovated infrastructure at Western over the past eight years includes the new student center at the heart of campus, new apartment-style housing, the Aviation Education Center, the redeveloped Dunbar Hall classroom building and the first new residence hall on campus since 2015, Golden Oaks, that is currently rising in Goldsworth Valley and slated to be complete in 2026. 

“We strived to create an environment where people would feel at home, feel they belong, feel drawn to this campus—and that would be responsive to the needs of students today,” Montgomery says. 

“Today this campus looks 100% different. And it feels 100% different.” 

His legacy will be defined not only by WMU’s physical redevelopment and thousands of students experiencing the outcomes of earning a degree from a University that puts their success at the center, but also by personal interactions that reveal the heart of his leadership. 

Similar to Montgomery, Alex Kasprzyk, BS ‘25, concluded a WMU presidency this year. She is the immediate past president of the Western Student Association (WSA), the University’s student body government. 

As she heads to graduate school at WMU this fall with plans for a career in higher education leadership, she says Montgomery’s example provided lessons she’ll carry forward into her own career one day. 

“He helped me realize that administrators aren’t as intimidating as they might seem,” she says. “They’re approachable, open to dialogue.” 

What Kasprzyk will remember most are the joint WSA and WMU president’s cabinet meetings. Montgomery, she says, always understood the importance of including students in shared governance, shaping her own view of how University policies should be developed. 

“Our positive working relationship gave me the confidence to bring up difficult topics and voice student concerns, knowing he would genuinely listen,” Kasprzyk says. 

Mason DeRaad, BS '25, who also graduated in April, is another former WSA member. He was a student government delegate when he first met Montgomery. 

Today pursuing a master’s degree in applied economics at WMU, DeRaad says he was struck by the president’s thoughtful, data-informed leadership, his focus on solutions and his commitment to shared governance. So much so, in fact, that he asked Montgomery to serve as a mentor. 

“President Montgomery is a wonderful president, a strong leader and an all-around great person. He’s helped make this University a place where students can truly learn and grow, somewhere people can be passionate about. I think the magnitude of his leadership and Bronco pride will be felt for generations to come. 

“I’ve seen and personally experienced how he uplifts students,” DeRaad continues. 

“President Montgomery has been a guiding light in the fostering of future leaders, empowering them to become leaders in their careers and lives, and I have no doubt that his approach to growth is the reason we’re recognized in TIME magazine’s top 125 schools for future leaders two years in a row.” 

While students like DeRaad were excited to be led by a renowned expert in economics—one who formerly served as chief economist and deputy secretary of labor under U.S. President Bill Clinton and the auto recovery czar for President Barack Obama—others on WMU’s campus were initially unsure. 

When Montgomery took office in 2017, “I thought, ‘We’ll have an economist in the presidency, someone driven by budgets and numbers, far removed from student success,’” recalls Dr. C. Dennis Simpson, professor of in the School of Interdisciplinary Health Programs, who also served from 2014-16 as president of the Faculty Senate. 

What WMU got instead, Simpson says, was a leader who “brought both vision and discipline—someone who understood the institution’s identity and potential, and who believed in balancing teaching, research and service.” 

The University has positioned itself as a leader in critical research areas, including carbon capture, electric vehicle development, concussion prevention and PFAS mitigation, advancing the education needed to prepare Broncos to compete in these cutting-edge industries and succeed. 

Also impressive, Simpson adds, was Montgomery’s steadfast commitment to the University’s Strategic Plan. 

“I’ve got way too many strategic plans in my filing cabinet,” he jokes. “Most were just something nice on paper. What impressed me about President Montgomery is that everything he articulated and implemented pointed back to the plan. He’s consistent and measured. He didn’t just lead during his tenure; he led with alignment and integrity.” 

Montgomery’s commitment stood out in other ways, too. As a professor in WMU’s Addiction Studies Program and having been at Western for nearly 48 years, Simpson has seen a lot and knows well how the political climate impacts higher education. 

“President Montgomery came to Western Michigan University when we were receiving less state funding and fewer federal grants. He had to fight the good fight for us in Lansing and beyond—and he did. He’s well respected there, across the state and nationally.” 

A steady hand 

For Michelle Hruska, who worked alongside Montgomery as his executive assistant senior until her retirement in January 2024, his true strength emerged during moments of adversity. 

Navigating the COVID-19 pandemic is perhaps the most broadly experienced and poignant example. It called on Montgomery to lead a campus serving thousands of lives in one of the most disruptive periods in recent history—without a perfect playbook for managing the health crisis. 

It was painful, disruptive and lengthy, but it also brought out the Bronco resilience that has always helped Western persist throughout its long history, Montgomery says. 

“While the pandemic left its mark, it also sparked innovation,” he adds. “Faculty reimagined instruction and embraced hybrid learning.” The University also carved out new models for work-life balance while keeping students’ needs at the forefront. 

But challenges extended beyond the pandemic. Responding to financial pressures, campus unrest and growing skepticism about the value of higher education are also part of the mix. 

“He led with empathy and care,” Hruska says. “In those moments, he was our ‘Nurturer-in-Chief,’ reminding us that while the road might be steep, we would climb it together.” 

Montgomery is quick to credit others—students, staff, faculty, his cabinet and the Board of Trustees, who sustain the University’s mission. 

“The greatest stewards of a community are grounded in generosity of spirit,” says Hruska. “President and Mrs. Montgomery are those kinds of people. Their devotion will shape WMU’s future for decades to come.” 

Dr. Deveta Gardner, associate dean of Merze Tate College and a board member for the Michigan ACE Women’s Network, also witnessed his commitment to equity. 

Montgomery supported legislation like the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act for women and he faithfully nominated campus leaders to be recognized for the network’s Distinguished Women in Higher Education award. Under his leadership, Dr. Carla Koretsky, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and Dr. Candy McCorkle-Boughton, vice president for diversity and inclusion, were recipients of the award. Gardner also notes his investment and direct mentorship in the Foundation Scholars and TRIO students. 

“He is a very kind man who always spoke from the heart,” Gardner says. “I always appreciated his acknowledgment of students. Given the challenges that higher education is currently facing, it is important for people to know that they are valued and supported.” 

A final word of gratitude 

In the final months of his presidency, Montgomery stood before a crowd in the WMU Student Center ballroom at the spring 2025 Make A Difference Awards ceremony. This time, it was his last address as president to the staff, faculty and families gathered for the event he keynotes three times each year. 

“When I speak with alumni about their student experience, what they tell me they remember most is that people on campus cared about them,” Montgomery said in his remarks. “The success of these grateful alumni is our success. And our success walks across that stage and graduates, starts new lives and changes communities—and the world—one person at a time.” 

He again reflected on the intersection of his roles as president and parent. 

“I couldn’t be prouder to be associated with this University for eight years as president and four years before that as the parent of a Bronco who became the person he is today because of the people in this room,” he said, his voice heavy with emotion. “As a parent, I say, thank you. As a president, I say, God bless you. I don’t want this to be about me, but I wanted to extend my gratitude.” 

As Western Michigan University looks to the future, those words and the enduring legacy of its ninth president will continue for generations. ■