Maryville President Dr. Mark Lombardi will retire at end of school year

ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - Maryville University President Dr. Mark Lombardi announced Monday that he will retire in June 2025 at the end of the coming academic year.

Lombardi, the 10th president in the university's history, has served as president of Maryville University since 2007.

"It is the singular honor of my life to have led Maryville to national prominence. Now it is time for a 21st century leader who will build on our revolution." said Lombardi in a release from the university. "Maryville will lead the quest to empower tens of thousands of students to become the first college graduates in their families."

During Lombardi's time as president, Maryville University launched and growing over 60 online degree programs and MaryvilleWORKS, a workforce development program, it began to offer 100% of available course materials in a online format to help reduce student costs significantly, and all students were able to receive iPads loaded with course content and hundreds of free learning applications with access to digital textbooks.

Maryville University, which classes beginning on Aug. 26, will begin the school year with its largest freshman class in its history , with a 20% increase in enrollment over 2023, as well as a strong financial standing, finishing 2024 fiscal year with an $8 million dollar surplus.

As a result of this growth, Maryville is in the early stages of designing a new residential hall to accommodate increasing student demand.

"Dr. Lombardi and his team have dramatically changed Maryville over the last 17+ years. It has been a true pleasure to work with Mark to expand access and opportunity, and to see thousands of students succeed and thrive within that robust and vibrant vision," said Ed Ryan, Chair of the Maryville Board of Trustees. "I know first-hand, because my son was one of those students."

Ryan said that a search committee has been formed under the direction of Chris Chadwick, Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees, a Maryville alum, and will begin its search shortly.