Biola’s associate provost of diversity, Pete Menjares is set to become university president of Fresno Pacific University. | Job Ang/THE CHIMES
The Fresno Pacific University board of trustees selected Pete Menjares, Biola associate provost of diversity leadership, as the top candidate for the position of university president that opens in fall 2012. The current president, D. Merrill Ewert, will retire on July 31 after holding office for the last 10 years.
The presidential search committee and board of trustees unanimously approved Menjares at the top candidate on Jan. 27. As part of the interview process, Menjares and his wife Virgie met with faculty, staff and the student body Feb. 14-16 to allow the university community to add input before the final decision of presidency is confirmed. The official decision will be made the first weekend of March, according to the Fresno Bee.
Menjares has previous ties with Fresno Pacific University from visiting the campus on several occasions in the past as an education consultant in diversity issues.
Despite the university’s tie to the Mennonite Brethren Church, its past two presidents have not had any connection to that specific church. Menjares would be the third consecutive president who has other connections. Both Menjares and Virgie have been pastors in the Assemblies of God denomination. Menjares has worked in the educational realm for the majority of his career, working as a middle school language arts teacher in southeast Los Angeles and then devoting 12 years to working on Biola’s campus.
