Jewell Leadership
William Jewell College is led by the president and vice presidents of the College, commonly referred to as the President’s Cabinet. Under direction of the president, the Cabinet leads and manages the day-to-day operations of Jewell and plans for its future. Cabinet members work closely with the Board of Trustees to establish strategic initiatives and goals consistent with the College’s mission and fulfillment of its strategic plan, which calls for the College to act intentionally to fulfill our promise to transform students and to achieve our mission.
President
Dr. Drew Van Horn
Interim President
816-415-5096 | vanhornd@william.jewell.edu
B.A. from Elon University; M.Ed. from Campbell University; Ph.D. from University of South Carolina
Dr. Drew Van Horn’s extensive higher education experience includes 10 years as president of Brevard College (North Carolina) and seven years at Young Harris College (Georgia). He has specialized in supporting private liberal arts institutions embarking on strategic change.
His vision emphasizes personalized education rooted in the liberal arts and humanities, aimed at preparing students for successful careers and civic engagement in a constantly changing world. He is known for improving student experiences, strengthening academic programs and increasing commitment to affordability and tuition transparency. Under his leadership, both Brevard and Young Harris experienced a rise in student enrollment, developed new academic and pre-professional pathways, and expanded opportunities for experiential learning, including internships and undergraduate research. Van Horn also held roles as vice president of institutional advancement at two universities and director of the Independent College Fund of North Carolina.
Van Horn holds a B.A. from Elon University (North Carolina) where he was named a two-time CoSIDA and GTE Academic All-American in basketball, an M.Ed. from Campbell University (North Carolina) and a Ph.D. in education from the University of South Carolina. He is a Thrivent Leadership Fellow, a member of Alpha Chi Academic Honor Society, Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Society and the Elon University Athletic Hall of Fame. The North Carolina native also has extensive civic leadership in education and nonprofit organizations.
Cabinet members
Eric Blair ’01
Vice President of Marketing, Enrollment and Student Life
816-415-5217 | blaire@william.jewell.edu
B.A. from William Jewell College; M.P.A. from Park University
Dr. Keli Braitman
Vice President of Academic Affairs; Dean of Faculty; Professor of Psychological Science
816-415-5045 | braitmank@william.jewell.edu
B.S. from Frostburg State University; M.A. and Ph.D. from Southern Illinois University
Ryan Erlacher
Vice President for Athletics
816-415-5497 | erlacherr@william.jewell.edu
B.A. from Flagler College; M.S. from Florida State University
Julie McGovern
Chief Financial Officer
816-415-7802 | mcgovernj@william.jewell.edu
B.S. from University of Kansas; C.P.A.
Dr. Kelli Schutte
Vice President for Graduate, Professional and Innovative Programs
816-415-7665 | schuttek@william.jewell.edu
B.A. from Calvin College; M.B.A. from Western Michigan University; Ph.D. from Michigan State University
Board of Trustees
- Shane Davolt ’93
- Charles Funk ’76
- William Gautreaux ’85
- Tyler Griffin ’01
- Sarah Hon ’88
- Diane Hopkins ’81
- Aimée Larrabee
- David Powell ’80
- Antwaun Smith
- Bradley Sprong ’86
- David Warm
- Todd White ’85
Advisory Trustees
- William Hall
- William Snyder ’62
- Maurice Watson
Trustees Emeriti
- Julius Anderson, Jr. ’71
- Robert Bernstein
- Edward Douglas
- William Dreyer ’60
- Robert Gengelbach ’69
- John Gill ’79
- Eileen Houston-Stewart ’79
- Burnell Landers ’60
- Ollie Malone, Jr. ’75
- Karen Mathes ’80
- James McCrossen
- James Pierce ’66
- Edward Place ’82
- Fred Pryor ’56
- Linda Roos ’68
- Dianne Shumaker ’66
- Joy Steincross
- John White ’67
- Thomas Willard ’76
- Richard Wright, Jr. ’78
- Craig Zahnd ’89