McKendree University Board Names Daniel C. Dobbins President
(LEBANON, Ill., November 11, 2019) — Daniel Lett, chairman of the McKendree University
Board of Trustees, announced today that at the Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019, board meeting,
Daniel C. Dobbins was elected the 33rd president of McKendree University. Dobbins will take office on Jan. 1, 2020. He succeeds
Dr. James M. Dennis, who announced his retirement as president earlier this year and
leaves the University after 26 years of service.
Dobbins is presently the president of Fiber Bond Corporation of Michigan City, Ind.,
a post he has held since 2008. Fiber Bond is the industry leader in the manufacturing
of air filtration systems for commercial use in major corporations and hospitals across
the U.S. A 1981 graduate of McKendree University with a bachelor’s degree in business
administration, Dobbins went on to earn a master’s degree in business administration
from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 1985.
Immediately following his graduation from McKendree University, Dobbins started his
service to his alma mater by providing philanthropic support, a practice he has continued
since 1981. In 1987, he became the president of the McKendree University Alumni Association
Board and by virtue of his office, began his service as a member of the Board of Trustees.
During his 32 years of service on the Board, Dobbins served as chair of the Resource
Development Committee from 1992 to 1998 and served as chair of the Financial Affairs
Committee and treasurer from 1998 to 2005. In 2005, he became vice chair of the Board
and in 2007, chairman of the Board of Trustees, a position he held until 2015. In
1999, Dobbins received the Peter Akers Award, the most prestigious honor the McKendree
Alumni Association bestows on an alumnus. During the 2015 Commencement ceremony, the
University conferred on him an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in recognition of
his service and his leadership as board chair.
“I view the opportunity to serve McKendree University as its next president as a continued
call to service,” said Dobbins. “I am deeply committed to the mission of this great
University and it has been a privilege for me to work on behalf of its students and
all of the members of the McKendree community as a volunteer. As I begin this new
chapter in my relationship with the University, I am deeply humbled and excited by
the opportunity to continue that service as president and I am grateful for the strong
and enduring leadership of Jim Dennis, who has left a lasting legacy on which we will
have the opportunity to build.”
The Board of Trustees contracted Storbeck Pimentel & Associates of Whittier, Calif.,
to assist with the search for Dennis’ successor. “The Board is grateful to the members
of the Presidential Search Advisory Committee who provided meaningful input into the
search for a new president,” said Chairman Lett. “Dan Dobbins’ business acumen, together
with his long volunteer service and knowledge of the University make him an ideal
candidate to lead McKendree at this time. We were fortunate that early in our process
we found an outstanding person with unparalleled passion for the University in our
midst,” said Lett as he announced the appointment.
“As we make this important transition in the life of the University, we are grateful
for the accomplishments achieved as a result of Jim Dennis’ leadership,” said Lett.
“He sought to breathe new life and vitality into this institution when he came to
the University in 1994—and he has done so by every measure. The McKendree University
community has been transformed by his service and we are indeed grateful for his leadership.”
Dobbins, a native of Pittsfield, Ill., and his wife Michaelene (Mickey) are residents
of O’Fallon, Ill. Mickey Dobbins is also a 1981 graduate of McKendree University and
a donor, volunteer and former employee. They are the parents of one daughter.
Daniel C. Dobbins, McKendree University president-elect
-McK-
