Dr. Jim Burkee has been appointed as the new President at Saint Leo University. Dr. Burkee will officially begin his new role on September 1, 2025. Dr. Burkee currently serves as the 15th President and Chief Executive Officer of Avila University, a Catholic university founded and supported by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet (CSI), in Kansas City, MO. As President, Dr. Burkee achieved three-fold expansion of the institution in two and a half years, from just over 1,100 students to more than 3,100 (January 2025). He also developed major partnerships with organizations in the US and abroad to drive expansion in domestic undergraduate, graduate, online, and international programs. Under Burkee's leadership, over $34 million in fundraising commitments were made in three short years. Prior to Avila, Dr. Burkee served as the Vice President for Enterprise Programs and Dean of the School of Professional and Graduate Studies at College of Mount Saint Vincent in Bronx, New York. He also served as the Executive Vice President/Executive Dean of Concordia College New York in Bronxville. Dr. Burkee holds two bachelor's degrees from Concordia University in Wisconsin, as well as a doctoral and master's degree from Northwestern University in Illinois. Dr. Burkee feels strongly that his experience working in and leading mission-aligned institutions, building high-impact partnerships, and fostering communities of belonging is uniquely suited to Saint Leo needs right now and he is energized by the opportunity to walk this path forward with the Saint Leo family. Read more.