Friends University names Amy Bragg Carey as 14th president

Amy Bragg Carey was introduced Friday as the 14th president – and the first woman to be president in a permanent capacity – in the history of Friends University.

Carey comes to Friends from St. Paul, Minn., where she is vice president for institutional advancement for University of Northwestern-St. Paul.

Her first day as president will be July 1.

The university’s Christian mission “aligns with my values,” Carey said after she was introduced in the school’s Casado Campus Center.

“There’s a great future ahead for this university,” she said. “I’m glad to be a part of that.”

“My goal in the coming months is to tell the Friends University story, highlighting our distinctive qualities.”

Friends, which was founded in 1898, has an enrollment of about 2,000 students. Carey said she was impressed by the strong board of trustees and its “courageous vision for the future.”

“I really sense a call to Friends University,” she said.

Carey will replace Darcy Zabel, who has been interim president since March 2014. Zabel replaced T.J. Arant, who resigned as president after less than three years.

Friends, near Meridian and Kellogg, last month announced that it had been accepted as an affiliate member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. Carey called that a significant milestone.

“That’s a wonderful step forward,” she said. “There’s so many great things that are happening … it’s an exciting opportunity.”

Carey said she wants to appeal to students who want a well-rounded education that integrates their spiritual lives with their personal lives.

Employers are looking for integrity, she said – “people that have a grounding, a sense of purpose and calling.”

There is so much anger and bitterness apparent in society today, she said.

“How do we bring back the idea of civility and community and calling and purpose?” Carey said. “My view is people are looking for that.”

This story was originally published March 13, 2015 at 6:36 AM with the headline "Friends University names Amy Bragg Carey as 14th president."