Two leaders to replace one at PLU, at least for now

Pacific Lutheran University’s board of regents has named Allan Belton the school’s interim president.

Belton replaces Thomas W. Krise, who announced in April he would step down and remain at the school as an English professor.

The PLU regents over the weekend chose Belton, PLU’s senior vice president and chief administrative officer, to take the position when Krise steps down in June. Belton is expected to hold the job for about a year while the board conducts a nationwide search for a permanent replacement.

According to a PLU web page, Belton came to the school from a long banking career, in which he served as managing director and chief operations officer at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

The board also named Joanna Gregson, a sociology professor and chair of the faculty, to a newly created position of acting associate president and academic counsel. She had been one of 14 candidates for the interim presidency, a PLU spokeswoman said, and will become a full-time administrator during the interim period.

“This team-based approach will relieve Allan of some of the duties typically associated with the president, allowing him to continue his leadership in the areas of finance and administration,” board chair Ed Grogan said in a news release.

This story was originally published May 8, 2017 at 1:13 PM with the headline "Two leaders to replace one at PLU, at least for now."