Commissioner of Higher Education to Retire in December
Commissioner of Higher Education Richard E. Kendell announced to the State Board of Regents his intention to retire at the end of the year. Kendell, 64, has served since September 2003 as the state’s sixth higher education commissioner.
“I have been honored to serve as the commissioner of higher education and, simply put, I have loved this appointment,” Kendell told the State Board of Regents. “I have enjoyed the support and camaraderie of a wonderful group of colleagues, including the 10 presidents and my own staff. The Regents could not have been more helpful and supportive. However, it is time for my wife and me to move to the next phase of our lives and to enjoy, together, many of the goals and pursuits we have dreamed of and put off until now. We both are blessed with health and energy and want to take advantage of it.”
Chairman of the Board of Regents Jed Pitcher expressed his appreciation for Kendell’s dedication and service to Utah students.
“We were very fortunate to hire Rich,” said Pitcher. “His experience in public education, higher education, and the business sector is invaluable. He is an outstanding commissioner and an incredible communicator for higher education. He is respected by the college and university presidents, the business community, and state officials as a team builder and leader. We will miss him, but understand and support his reasons for retiring.”
As commissioner, Kendell has assisted with seven searches for institutional presidents. He has launched a large-scale communications campaign to encourage Utahns to prepare for, participate in, and complete postsecondary education. He oversaw various studies into the effective delivery of postsecondary education throughout Utah and forged new partnerships among higher education institutions. He helped to secure a national grant to implement the Utah Scholars initiative, which places business partners in the classroom to encourage high school students to take a rigorous course of study. Kendell played an important role in the development of the K-16 Alliance, which includes representation from legislators, the Governor’s Office, and board members from public and higher education.
He coordinated higher education initiatives through four legislative sessions. The 2007 General Legislative Session provided record appropriations for higher education.
Kendell’s experience in higher education also includes: acting chair of the Department of Leadership and Policy in the University of Utah’s (U of U) School of Education, Associate Dean of the U of U School of Education, and associate dean of the U of U Graduate School.
Prior to his appointment as commissioner of higher education, Kendell served as Gov. Michael O. Leavitt’s deputy for education. He was also superintendent of schools for Davis School District, and has worked twice in the private sector. Kendell began his career as an English teacher at Ogden High School in 1967.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Weber State University and his master’s and doctorate degrees in leadership and policy from the U of U.
He and his wife, Joan, are the parents of four married children and have 11 grandchildren. They reside in North Salt Lake.