WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., Dec. 7, 2022 — The West Liberty University Board of Governors (BOG) made history today by naming Dr. Cathy Monteroso its interim president during its regularly scheduled meeting held at 4 p.m. in Shaw Hall and on Zoom.
She will be the first woman to serve in this leadership role.
After calling the meeting to order and covering most of its agenda (Click here for complete BOG December-7-2022 agenda).
Chairman Rich Lucas requested a motion to retire to executive session at 4:58 p.m. pursuant to West Virginia Code section 6-9A-4. The motion was made and passed unanimously.
At 5:39 p.m., the board returned from executive session and announced the selection of Dr. Cathy Monteroso as its choice for interim president. The motion passed unanimously with an 11 – 0 vote. (One board member was absent.)
“I am very humbled that I have been asked to serve West Liberty University as its interim president,” Monteroso said. “I am thrilled to help lead this university, which I consider positioned to thrive. I believe we are the best regional university in the state of West Virginia and we need to continue to live up to that standard.”
The appointment is effective Jan. 1, 2023 pending approval by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission and will continue through June 30, 2023.
Monteroso has been at WLU for 13 years, serving first as a member of faculty, then dean of the College of Education and Human Performance and most recently serving as interim provost and vice president of Academic Affairs (since January 2022).
She earned her doctoral degree at Northcentral University, her master’s degree at Azusa Pacific University and her undergraduate degree at East Tennessee State University.
A resident of St. Clairsville, Ohio, Monteroso is married to WLU’s Football Defensive Coordinator Coach Jeff Monteroso and is the mother of two adult children, Dan and Mike, and 14-year-old Claire.
The Monterosos have one granddaughter, Mae, who is the daughter of Dan and his wife Brooke. Dan, also a WLU alumnus, plays professional basketball in the German ProA League.
Former President W. Franklin Evans’ contract expired on Dec. 31, 2022.
WLU has contracted with AGB Search to carry the professional search for its 38th President. For details on the Board of Governors, please click here. For information on the Presidential Search Committee actions, please visit westliberty.edu/news.
President’s Vision
My vision is to provide a holistic, high-quality education for all students so that they will develop into knowledgeable, innovative, and skilled professionals equipped to successfully impact local, state, national, and global communities.
20 August 2021
Greetings West Liberty University Family!
I am delighted to welcome our faculty, staff, and especially our students to another amazing academic year at West Liberty University. We remain committed to offering exceptional academic programs that are focused on preparing students and learners with the essential intellectual skills and practical experiences to meet the demands of a global workforce.
As I look ahead towards a brighter future, we will rise above the pandemic and other obstacles that might try to impede our progress. In all my many years of higher education experience, I have never seen so many challenges having to be addressed all at one time; however, I am confident that most of us have been programed and trained to expect the unexpected and to make lemonade out of the lemons that may be tossed our way. And our way, the path in which we choose, must be well-planned and executed with a new sense of hope and determination for success.
There is much talk about adjusting to a “new norm” and new ways of maneuvering into the future. Change is necessary, but it is not something we need to fear or reject. I personally want to challenge and encourage each of you to embrace a new way of thinking, responding, functioning, and existing. I offer that the new West Liberty University will become a vehicle for moving this institution to the next level. Over the next few weeks and months, we will make adjustments and modifications to the way in which we operate as a business, function as the oldest and greatest higher education institution in West Virginia, and adopt the change necessary to be accommodating to this new norm.
The future will be brighter, and West Liberty University will forge ahead stronger and better. I urge you to be ready for change and the new West Liberty University!
Sincerely,
W. Franklin Evans, Ph.D.
President & CEO
President’s Vision
My vision is to provide a holistic, high-quality education for all students so that they will develop into knowledgeable, innovative, and skilled professionals equipped to successfully impact local, state, national, and global communities.