NEWS

Drury University hires 2 new executive vice presidents

Claudette Riley
CRILEY@NEWS-LEADER.COM

Drury University's new president has hired two executive vice presidents, including a top adviser from his previous post.

Tim Cloyd, who recently became Drury's 18th president after a lengthy tenure at Hendrix College in Arkansas, was involved in both selections. Both new hires also worked at Hendrix.

Tim Floyd

The following hires were announced by the university in recent days.

• David Hinson will serve as executive vice president, chief operating officer and chief information. He will report directly to Cloyd.

• Kevin Kropf was selected the executive vice president of enrollment management.

Cloyd started his new job at Drury on July 1. During his time at Hendrix, where he was president from 2001 and 2013 and most recently worked as a professor, the private liberal arts college grew enrollment by 50 percent, expanded its endowment by 50 percent and built 13 campus buildings.

At Hendrix, Hinson was the executive vice president and chief information officer during Cloyd's tenure. His primary role was to advise and oversee changes to information infrastructure, instructional technology, and institutional business support and research.

Among other things, Hinson oversaw a $450,000 "technology refresh" in classrooms, expanded internet capacity and designed a Makerspace, which featured design and production spaces for 3D printing.

David Hinson

“We are committed to providing our students with a learning experience that sets them on the path for success, and that most certainly includes the intelligent integration of technology,” said Cloyd, in a news release. “David’s visionary leadership in technology infrastructure will be critical to delivering on our commitment to providing students with a distinctive, best-in-class liberal arts education.”

Hinson most recently worked as director of technology services at Brooklyn's Yeshivah of Flatbush, the largest independent Jewish Day School in the U.S.

At Drury, Hinson will oversee all operations and facility services. He will be responsible for planning and managing all of the university's information infrastructure and software systems including business support, enrollment management and classroom technology, as well as the online delivery of education and instructional innovation.

He has a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Tennessee Technological University. He also serviced as CEO of Sumner Systems Management for 16 years.

The other new hire, announced late last week, is Kropt. The new executive vice president of enrollment management will replace Jay Fedje, who resigned to take a similar job at Iowa's Clarke University.

Kevin Kropf

Kropf, who spent 12 years at Albion College in Michigan and three years at Hendrix, has spent the past six years at Baker University in Kansas.

At Baker, he served as director of enrollment management before being named senior director of admissions. According to the release, he increased diversity and exceeded enrollment goals for first-year students in 2013, 2014 and 2016.

He has also redesigned campus visits for prospective students.

“Kevin has an outstanding track record of results both as a leader of admissions teams and transforming enrollment efforts, especially campus visits,” Cloyd said, in the release. “This is a critical touch point for prospective students and their families, and with Kevin’s leadership, we have the opportunity to make our visit program the best in class.”

Kropf has a bachelor's degree in economics and sociology from Kenyon College and a master's degree in education from Baldwin Wallace University. He has been working on his doctorate of educational leadership.

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