CMU President: 'Let us carry this light forward'

The Central Michigan University Board of Trustees officially bestowed the responsibilities of university president upon Neil MacKinnon today during the official investiture ceremony. The investiture ceremony is a university tradition typically held during the first year of a president’s service and includes an opportunity for the new leader to share a vision for the institution’s future.

Faculty and delegates in their formal academic regalia joined students, staff, alumni and guests from around the U.S. and Canada for the ceremony in Warriner Hall’s Plachta Auditorium. The event officially invested MacKinnon with the authority to lead the university as its 16^th president.

The Board of Trustees unanimously appointed MacKinnon president in September 2024, and he began serving as the university’s top administrator on November 1, 2024.

Watch CMU Investiture Ceremony

Celebrating a new era of leadership, together

The CMU Graduate String Quartet provided a prelude concert, followed by a processional led by honorary grand marshal Carl Lee, faculty member from the College of Business Administration.

CMU Board of Trustees Chair Todd Regis presided over the investiture ceremony, welcoming all attendees to the celebration. He also said MacKinnon is the right person to lead CMU, saying the president has proven it repeatedly since taking office.

“In the first six months of his presidency, Dr. MacKinnon has shown himself to be a person of great integrity, strong faith and courage in his convictions,” Regis said. “We look forward to continuing to work with you and watching, together, as Central Michigan University achieves new levels of excellence.”

Regis also unveiled the official Central Michigan University tartan, which he said has been registered with the official Scottish Register of Tartans and will be a new way to share pride in the university. 

Other dignitaries and notable guests offering greetings included:

• Joseph Sowmick, Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe elder
• Boomer Wingard, mayor of the city of Mount Pleasant
• Daniel Hurley, CEO, Michigan Association of State Universities
• Stephen Juris, chair of the CMU Academic Senate
• Aashka Barot, on behalf of CMU SGA President Carolina Hernandez Ruiz
• Tangela Cheatham, CMU deputy athletic director of administration, CMU Athletics
• Scott Nadeau, president of the CMU National Alumni Board

University of Michigan President Santa Ono also offered remarks as a professional mentor of MacKinnon’s. Ono said MacKinnon is an excellent choice to lead CMU.

“Neil is a visionary leader who is passionate about serving the university and uplifting all of those around him in his community,” Ono said.

Investing in CMU’s 16^th president

Todd Regis, chair of the CMU Board of Trustees, was joined by Vice Chairs Regine Beauboeuf and Denise Williams Mallett as he formally installed MacKinnon as president and presented the President’s Medallion and Chain of Office. Also present for the investiture to office were Trustees Sharon Heath and Jeff Stoutenburg.

“Dr. MacKinnon, you were unanimously selected by the Central Michigan University Board of Trustees to serve as the sixteenth president of this great institution,” Regis said. “We are confident that, under your leadership, Central Michigan University will continue to grow in reach and reputation, contributing to the health, wealth and wellbeing of the state of Michigan and its citizens, and to the world at large.”

‘A noble purpose that lights a fire within us’

In his investiture address, MacKinnon described the transformative power of higher education and the ways he hopes CMU will harness that power to help students succeed and impact the world.

“We don’t just prepare students for jobs. We prepare them for lives of purpose. We prepare them to lead. We prepare them to be a source of light in the world,” MacKinnon said.

MacKinnon highlighted ways the university is already building momentum to achieve the priorities of CMU’s 2023-2028 strategic plan. He pointed to the Go Grant program and the newly formed University Transformation Office as innovative initiatives with potential to help CMU realize its potential.

“We are innovating to build something better at CMU – tangible changes for a bright future.”

MacKinnon asked those in attendance to imagine what the year 2028 will be like if CMU achieves its strategic plan. He described it as a time “where we are experiencing enrollment growth, and the number of students and alumni who are succeeding and improving their communities is growing as well.”

To conclude his address, MacKinnon asked the audience to raise small, battery powered candles in unison to symbolize the power of higher education and CMU’s mission.

“Let us carry this light forward – not just for ourselves, but for the communities and the world we serve.”