Kroger to Join Leadership Center at Harvard

President John R. Kroger will serve as leader-in-residence at Kennedy School after he steps down from Reed.

By Public Affairs | June 12, 2018

The Harvard Kennedy School announced today that John R. Kroger will join the Center for Public Leadership as a Hauser Leader-in-Residence after he steps down as president of Reed on June 30.

“John is a dedicated leader who brings with him gravitas and a real understanding of the complex, connected issues that our students—and our center—are confronting,” said CPL Executive Director Barbara Best. “His multi-disciplinary background and experience leading at the local and state levels will be real assets to our students, many of whom hope to return to their own communities to lead change as elected officials. I, along with my peers at Harvard Kennedy School, look forward to welcoming John back to Cambridge.”

Kroger will serve as leader-in-residence for the 2018-19 academic year. During his term, he will also teach a course in criminal procedure at Harvard Law School and join Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics as a research fellow.

Under Kroger’s leadership, Reed deepened student and faculty diversity, doubled its applicant pool, launched several new majors, and strengthened financial aid.

“President Kroger has provided invaluable leadership during his tenure, which has been a period of rapid advancement,” said Roger Perlmutter ’73, chairman of Reed’s board of trustees. “Throughout this time, Reed has remained a powerful advocate for education in the liberal arts, while maintaining the highest standards of intellectual excellence. We are grateful to President Kroger for his steadfast commitment to Reed, and we look forward to building on his legacy.”

The board of trustees tapped longrunning VP Hugh Porter to become Reed’s acting president while it searches for a successor to Kroger.

Tags: Awards & Achievements, Institutional