The Eastern Michigan University Board of Regents unanimously elected Brendan B. Kelly as the university's new president today, Dec. 10, 2025.
Kelly, a Michigan-native from Flint and an EMU alum, will replace current EMU President James Smith, assuming duties in the spring. Kelly previously served as president of the University of West Georgia and interim president of the University of South Carolina.
Kelly is a two-time EMU graduate, with a bachelor's degree in public relations and a master's in communication. He met his wife, Tressa Kelly, also a two-time EMU alumna, at the university.
“We could not be more proud to be home,” Kelly said in an address to the crowd during the special regents meeting to elect the president.
The election follows a university presidential search that has been ongoing since current EMU Smith announced his intent in June, 2024, to step down from his position when his contract expires on June 30, 2026. Smith has served as EMU president since 2016.
President-elect Kelly will assume his duties in the spring. Smith said he is looking forward to working with Kelly through the transition period.
Smith said that university presidents face challenges these days that they didn't previously.
“Your experiences are exactly what I would've asked for,” Smith said to Kelly in his remarks. “We need a president who has served in the seat.”
The search process included a 16-person search advisory committee that included campus and Ypsilanti community members, including EMU Student Body President Jack Booth, Ypsilanti Mayor Nicole Brown, members of EMU staff and faculty, and other stakeholders. The advisory committee was tasked with offering input and providing recommendations to the regents.
The board of regents opted for a closed search process, said Marilyn Corsianos, president of faculty senate at EMU. This decision was out of concern that applicants would hesitate to apply if their names were publicly attached to the search process, risking current positions they might hold, Corsianos said.
The Presidential Search Committee, composed of the eight members of the EMU Board of Regents, made the final decision in electing a new president.
