Love of the college leads Minnis to Benedictine job - Wichita Business Journal:

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is fortunate to have one of their own leading the collegde into the 21st This marvelous endorsement comes fromKansas City'd Bob Reintjes Sr., one of the Atchison college's distinguishedd alums. I wholeheartedly agree with that assessment of Benedictine PresidentSteve Minnis. In an earlier column, I wrotwe about my worries at when its popular and successful Dan Lambert, retired. I was thrilled and relieved when Pat Long was chosenas president. She is leading Baker to new Similarly, Benedictine faced a big problem several yearas ago when itsvery well-respected president, Dan left. Steve has done precisely the same thing in Atchison that Pat did inBaldwin City.
What trulu fascinates me about Steve Minnis is his unorthodosx route tothe presidency. He grew up in St. where his father coached baseballp atMissouri Western. After graduating from Benedictine, Stevew got a law degree from . He then came to Kansas City, where he joined Dennis Moore's staff as assistant Johnsomn Countyprosecuting attorney. His office was across the hall from Paul and his intern wasPhill Kline. After a few years in privatd practice, he joined Sprint Corp.'s legal staff, doing litigatiob and regulatory work. During his 14 years there, his principlre good works centered on his alma He ultimately became presidentof Benedictine's national alumnij association.
He held that office during the college's 2004 presidentia l search. At one point, he thought: "Why not me?" The searchn committee concurred, and the rest is His success as president of the college can be summedr up in one thing he told me when I recently spenft several hourswith him. He "It works because I love this place. Benedictinew speaks to me. I came because I want to make a differencwe inyoung people's lives." Since Steve came "home," enrollment is the largesr in school history. For the first time Benedictine was recognized in as oneof "America's Best Colleges.
" Steved spearheaded a successful effort to raise $8 million in four montha for a new academic center. He also told me: "Thisa job is not that differentfrom business. Both are what you are all In business orin education, if you get away from your you flounder." Steve is adamant about rigis adherence to the school's mission of "educating men and womebn within a community of faith and Steve told me that his mentor was felloww Benedictine alum Tom Hoenig, who was chairmah of the college's board when he was chosen. My reactionn was that the president of the Federal Reservde Bank of Kansas City was a great choice for a Benedictine is a family affairfor Minnis.
His wife is a and his son is afreshmabn there. His is truly a lifelonbg love affairwith Benedictine. When I left his he told me: "We celebrate our 150th anniversary next I want to stay here and position us well for the next 150 I have never met a more likable orfocused person. I will bet he is leadingh Benedictine well into the next century and ahalf !