Concord University Magazine Spring 2025

A Legacy of Leadership

president kendra boggess

After more than a decade of service, President Kendra Boggess, Concord University’s first faenmn oa luenpc reeds hi deernrte, ti isr er emt ierni nt gl a. Ps tr ey se iadreannt dB iosg g e s s currently counting down her final days. “hIet ’rse b. Ti tht ei sr si swme eyt ,f”aBmoigl yg, easnsds ai ti’ds . g“oI ilnogv et ot hbee pheaor pd l teo walk away.” Pp rr ee ss ii dd ee nn tt iBno Jgugl ey s2s 0w1 a3s. Oa pn pe oyi enat er dl aat es rt, ht eh ei nBt eo rairmd opfreGsoidveernnt.ors appointed her as Concord’s 12th “s Ta ihdi ,s tphoi nski tiinogn bwaac sk noont hoenrecoafr emeyr ga ot aClos n,” cBoor gdgtehsast bf aecgual nt y i. nF o1r9 t8h4e wn he xe tn 2s9h ey ej oa irns e, sdhteh se ebr uv es idn iens s di ni fcfleurdeinntgaacsa dDei vmi si icoannodf aBdums iinnei sstsr ca ht iavier pf roosmi t i o n s , 12 90 90 68 taon d2 020090, 9t ,haes f aa nc ual st ys opcrieast ei ddeenat ni na nb od tfhi n a l l y Interim Dean, from 2009 to 2011. Boggess said sa hd emlienai rs nt readt imo no raep pwriot ha cehaecdh hpeors it toi osne ,r av ne da sw h e n interim president, she accepted. “My interim contract stated that I was not to adpi spcluystsoi nbge tchoemceo pmrme siitdme ennt ,t” wB oi tghg me sys hs auisdb. a“An df t,eIr

tBaol ka er dd owf iGt ho vt he er nf aocr us lat yt ,tshtea ftfi ma nedamn de ms abi de rIswoof ut hl de hBaOvGe iannviitnetdermeset tiof tahpeprley.w” as interest in me, so the Ws u irtrho hu enrd he du sbbya hn edr, Tf aemd , i bl yy, choel rl esai gdue easn, da n d t h e Cthoenscporridncgoomf m20u1n4i.ty, Boggess was inaugurated in “pIrreesmi deemn tb’ se hr ot auksienagnmd ys hmeocmr i eodv,e” rBtoogsgeees st hsea i d . “r Ie at hl iiznek hsohwe wi ma ps ovretrayn pt rt oh ua td ma no dmtehnatt wmaasdteo mh eer a s wn oetl lh. aI fviet ghoanden ’ttobceoelnl efgoer aMt oaml l …’ si tu wr gai ns ga,l wI wa yosu l d her dream that I do so. Many first-generation students can relate to that, I think. “ Lp irkees itdheenpc oy,sti ht ieornes wBaosg ga el sost at oc cl ee aprt enda pn rdi oorb tsot atchl ee s to overcome. “s Ie sr es imo ne ms , ba ne rd gt oh ienrge two at sh eo ns et abt eu dl eggei ts lcaot mi v em i t t e e lVeiar dg ienri awdhooews no’ut lhdasvtea et en oe vuegrhy fyuenadri, n‘ Wg tehl li,sWy ee as tr, s o wc oenwv ei rl ls caut itohni,”g hBeorg egde susc as taiiodn. ,“’ Iat n’ sdj ut hs te rwehwa ta swnoou l d bt heocuugth, ta, n‘ Wd tehhaat vwe atso rdeoa lsl yo ms heot hc ki ni nggdtiof f emr ee n, at lnyd.’ ” I

By Lindsey Byars