Rev. Patrick T. Ferry, PhD, announced today that he will conclude three decades of distinguished service to Concordia University Wisconsin and Ann Arbor this June. The Board of Regents will plan a national search for his successor.
In his 30th year at Concordia University, 24 of them as president, Ferry told the University’s Board of Regents Friday morning, September 11, that he will retire from his position June 2021. During his tenure, Concordia University has been widely recognized for its excellence in Christian faith and learning, student outcomes, robust program growth in the areas of health science, business, and education, and the successful merger with a sister campus, Concordia University Ann Arbor, in 2013.
Ferry made the announcement first to the University’s Board of Regents and then in an email to faculty and staff. He will lead Concordia through the current academic year. While the days ahead are ones filled with great challenges, the university is in an excellent position to move forward.
“After prayerful reflection, I believe that the time is right for change—for me, and for the university,” Ferry wrote to his longtime Concordia colleagues. “Privileged beyond all deserving, I give thanks to our Lord for the opportunity to be a part of such an extraordinary mission … For Concordia the focus is appropriately fixed on the future… The same Lord who has blessed Concordia and has been our help in ages past is our hope for years to come.”
Related: Concordia’s Storyteller—President Ferry entered his 20th year as University President in 2016.
Ferry came to Concordia University in 1991 from St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Laramie, Wyo., where he served as campus pastor for students at the University of Wyoming. He began his Concordia career as a professor of history. Ferry was inaugurated as the university’s 8th president in August of 1997. He is one of the longest-serving presidents in the institution’s 172-year history, overseeing decades of tremendous student, program, and campus growth and Concordia’s designation as a top-tier, nationally ranked university.
Board Chairman Richard Laabs gave thanks to God for Dr. Ferry’s many years of commitment to Concordia University and The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS).
“Patrick Ferry in so many ways is the living expression of Concordia University’s uncommon mission,” Laabs said. “The accomplishments of this institution during more than two decades of Pat’s visionary leadership are significant. He has been tireless in his Calling and every Concordian is deeply grateful to him for his many years of exceptional leadership. Pat, his dear wife, Tammy, and their family have truly given their all and Concordia has been better for it.”
"While the days ahead are ones filled with great challenges, the university is in an excellent position to move forward. The same Lord who has blessed Concordia and has been our help in ages past is our hope for years to come." —Rev. Patrick T. Ferry, PhD, University President
Laabs stressed the Board’s commitment to work with the LCMS in the search for Concordia University’s next president. More details about the search will be forthcoming and published regularly on the university website.
“Concordia University is well-prepared for the challenges that face today’s institutions of higher learning,” Laabs said. “Our enrollment numbers, even in the midst of the pandemic are strong, and thanks to the steady leadership of Dr. Ferry and his senior team, our financial position remains robust. We can look ahead with great energy as we pursue our vision to be a nationally and internationally recognized Lutheran Christian university, where Christ remains our center and our guide.”
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