Texas Wesleyan University announced Wednesday that Emily Messer will be the university’s 21st president, becoming the first woman to take on the role. The university’s board of trustees voted unanimously to appoint her.
“I am committed to advancing the mission of the university,” Messer said in a press release. “I look forward to implementing programs to ensure student success and student engagement, building on established relationships and cultivating new relationships in the Fort Worth community, boosting the university’s visibility in the philanthropic community to support campus initiatives and fostering transformational learning experiences for our diverse student body.”
Messer comes to Texas from Alabama, where she served as vice president for advancement and enrollment management at Jacksonville State University. At Jacksonville State, Messer led the university to record enrollment. She also fundraised for a $25 million performing arts center.
Prior to Jacksonville State, Messer held multiple leadership positions at Shorter University in Rome, Ga. She earned her doctorate of education in higher education administration from the University of Alabama and graduated from Jacksonville State with a bachelor of arts in English and a master of public administration.
This won’t be Messer’s first time in Texas. In 2006, she was an intern at Southern Methodist University’s office of new students program.
“Dr. Messer stood out as the person we felt was best suited to lead Texas Wesleyan University into the future,” Glenn Lewis, chair of the board of trustees, said in a press release. “We are very pleased with our selection.”
Vickie Stevens, vice chair of the board of trustees, said in a press release that Messer will bring her knowledge of enrollment and retention management, student success, advancement and development of new undergraduate and graduate programs.
Messer succeeds Frederick G. Slabach, who served as president for 12 years. Messer will start her presidency on July 1.
