KC-area University President Leaves to Lead Utah School

Park University President Shane Smeed will leave the Parkville school to become president of Utah Tech University. Smeed, a Utah native, became Park’s acting president in November 2020 and interim in January 2021, before the board unanimously made the position permanent in December 2021. He joined the school in 2015 as COO. The Board of Trustees’ executive committee will meet March 6, when the transition from Smeed will be the “primary agenda item,” Trustees Chair Terry Calaway said in a letter to students faculty and staff Wednesday night.