Becky Johnson named interim president at Linfield. Photo by Rob Kerr for OSU Cascades.
Linfield University on Tuesday named Rebecca “Becky” Johnson as interim president.
Johnson served as Oregon State University’s interim president during the 2021-22 academic year. Before that, she spent 12 years as an OSU vice president and the top administrator at the university’s Cascades Campus in Bend.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Wisconsin, and both a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in agricultural economics from Michigan State.
“I’m very excited to be joining the students, faculty and staff of Linfield University,” said Johnson, who previously served as an OSU faculty member, department chair and associate dean for academic affairs. “Together, along with our alumni and community members, we can continue to enhance Linfield’s long history of providing world-class educational experiences for our students.”
Johnson, who met with the Linfield leadership team before agreeing to accept the position, will begin serving as the 21st president in the institution’s history as of January 1. She owns a home in the Bend area, but will relocate during her time as interim president into the president’s house on the McMinnville campus along with her wife, Lori Elkins.
Linfield trustees Kirby Dyess and Marvin Henberg co-chaired the selection committee that was given the job of identifying an interim president following the Nov. 2 resignation of President Miles K. Davis. Davis remained as president until an interim could be named, and pledged to work with the new president during any necessary transition period.
“The selection committee wanted someone for the interim position who was not simply a caretaker but an active, collaborative president who can both lead and set the stage for recruiting a new full-time president,” said Henberg, who was Linfield’s interim president during the 2005-06 academic year before moving on to serve as College of Idaho president for six years. “I have no doubt that Becky can do all this and more.”
Lucinda Day Fournier, chair of the Linfield board of trustees, thanked the interim president selection committee for its hard work, and said she is thrilled at the selection of Dr. Johnson. She said information regarding the search for the university’s next full-time president will be released following the next board meeting in February. The national search will involve students, faculty and staff members, and regular updates will be posted to linfield.edu/presidentialsearch.
Johnson said she understands the responsibility of the interim president role, and looks forward to getting to know the Linfield community in the weeks and months ahead.
“My experiences leading a large public university as interim president, and a small branch campus in Bend, give me a lot of experience to draw upon at Linfield,” Johnson said. “I really look forward to working with the talented faculty and staff, and getting to know the campuses and communities.”
Linfield University is an independent, nonprofit university with campuses in McMinnville and Portland, Oregon, as well an eCampus for online learning. Since 1858, Linfield has connected a traditional liberal arts experience with practical education through 54 majors, including wine studies, sport management and nursing. Linfield also offers interdisciplinary master’s degrees in business, nursing and sports sciences. For five years running, U.S. News & World Report magazine has named Linfield one of the top liberal arts colleges in the nation when it comes to social mobility. Thirty-eight percent of Linfield students are first-generation college students, and 38% are U.S. students of color. Linfield competes in the NCAA Division III Northwest Conference. Learn more at www.linfield.edu.