Wynn Goering, the current chair of the Bethel College Board of Directors, will assume the duties of interim president on July 1, the board announced March 30, after the conclusion of its spring meetings March 26-28.
Goering will step down from the board on June 30, at the conclusion of Dr. Jon Gering’s tenure as president.
“We’re pleased that Wynn was willing to take this on so that we can maintain Bethel’s momentum while we take the time to do a comprehensive search for our next president,” said Lori Schmidt-Harrison, vice chair of the board. “We have a lot going on right now – a capital campaign, strategic planning, further development of Employment Experiences – and we believe Wynn is the right leader to ensure progress continues on all these fronts as the college thoughtfully moves through the search and presidential transition process.”
Goering, a 1977 graduate of Bethel, holds M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in English language and literature from the University of Chicago, and an M.B.A. from the University of New Mexico.
He served as Bethel’s chief academic officer from 1991-97, before beginning a two-decade career at the University of New Mexico in a variety of executive roles. These included tenures as special assistant to the president, vice provost for Academic Affairs, and interim appointments as vice president for advancement and chief executive at UNM’s campuses in Taos, Gallup, Los Alamos and Rio Rancho.
Since 2018, he has served as a consultant for the executive search firm EFL Associates in Kansas City, where he helped recruit and place presidents and other executives for colleges and universities.
“I’m well aware that a board’s view of a college can be very different than the lived experience of its students, faculty and staff,” noted Goering, “so I’m looking forward to getting to know the campus community in a way that helps us all thrive and succeed.”
In other actions, the board elected Eric Rhoades, Olney, Md., to succeed Goering as chair on July 1.
The board also approved a budget for fiscal year 2026-27; reviewed the progress of the capital campaign, Foundations Strong and True; and granted promotions to Dr. Navanté Peacock, to associate professor of psychology, and Dr. Kip Wedel, to professor of history and politics.
The board’s fall meetings are scheduled for Oct. 14-16, to coincide with Bethel’s 56th annual Fall Festival, Oct. 15-18.
Bethel is a four-year liberal arts college founded in 1887 and is the oldest Mennonite college in North America. Bethel is ranked #25 in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Regional College Midwest for 2026. Bethel was the only Kansas college or university to be named a Truth, Community Healing and Transformation (TCHT) Campus Center, in 2021. For more information, see www.bethelks.edu
