Eastern Oregon University announced Monday evening that its leader will be leaving at the end of next month.
EOU President Tom Insko will soon become president and chief executive officer of Collins, a wood products company based in Wilsonville. Before becoming EOU’s leader, Insko worked as an executive for more than 20 years at Boise Cascade, another wood products company.
Students walk across Eastern Oregon University campus near the administration building in LaGrande, Oregon, in this 2003 file photo. The university will soon begin planning its next steps in replacing its president, Tom Insko, who is leaving to take a timber industry job in Wilsonville.
Don Ryan / AP
“This was a difficult decision because serving as president, with this outstanding community of educators, students and professionals, has been among the most challenging but fulfilling experiences of my career,” Insko said in a statement. “I am so proud of what we have accomplished together over the last seven years, and while I will be serving Oregon in a different way, my goal is to continue to support and advance opportunities for the people in eastern Oregon — and that includes the students and community at EOU.”
EOU’s Board of Trustees will begin planning for Insko’s transition at its upcoming board retreat next week.
“Tom was a non-traditional president with a background in operations and financial management, but it proved to be exactly the kind of leadership we needed,” EOU Board Chair Richard Chaves said in a statement. “Tom’s passion for Oregon coupled with a strategic education and fiscal plan brought together everyone under one vision, which has led us to the strong position we are in today. He set a high bar for our next president but we are confident we will attract a high caliber leader who can continue to advance the path forward putting the people and students of eastern Oregon first.”
Insko is one of Oregon’s currently longest-serving public university presidents. He and University of Oregon President Michael Schill both took their positions in 2015.
Many of Oregon’s other public higher education institutions are going through leadership changes. Oregon State, Western Oregon and Southern Oregon universities all hired new presidents this year. Portland State University’s president will retire next year. Oregon’s largest higher education institution — Portland Community College — welcomed its new president, Adrien Bennings, last month.