Davenport University President Richard J. Pappas is considered a top “power broker” in West Michigan and was named one of the most influential leaders by Crain’s Grand Rapids Business. The inaugural list names the 200 most influential leaders in the region.
The publication points out that the people chosen did not request to be included, rather the editorial team at Crain’s made the choice.
Pappas is in his 15th year leading Davenport and has focused on quality metrics, which is evident in the current Vision 2025 plan for the university. Under his leadership, Davenport’s graduation rate increased by more than 158% since 2009. Massive improvements like that resulted in the university being recognized at the highest level by the Michigan Performance Excellence Program.
Read more about Pappas in Crain’s Grand Rapids Business, “200 Most Influential Leaders.”
Share This Story!
Davenport University President Richard J. Pappas is considered a top “power broker” in West Michigan and was named one of the most influential leaders by Crain’s Grand Rapids Business. The inaugural list names the 200 most influential leaders in the region.
The publication points out that the people chosen did not request to be included, rather the editorial team at Crain’s made the choice.
Pappas is in his 15th year leading Davenport and has focused on quality metrics, which is evident in the current Vision 2025 plan for the university. Under his leadership, Davenport’s graduation rate increased by more than 158% since 2009. Massive improvements like that resulted in the university being recognized at the highest level by the Michigan Performance Excellence Program.
Read more about Pappas in Crain’s Grand Rapids Business, “200 Most Influential Leaders.”
Share This Story!
Stay connected!
Get the latest Davenpost News delivered to your inbox!
Related Stories
DU Basketball star turned healthcare advocate for Spectrum Health James Nelson ’12, is not a stranger to wearing multiple hats. [...]
Brittany Edwards ‘18 has worked for the State of Michigan since she was a high school student. Through hard work [...]
What’s up next for the field of HR? At the turn of the decade, three in five HR leaders believe [...]
Latest Stories
Davenport University partners with Grand Valley State University and Grand Rapids Community College on the community-wide MLK day celebration on [...]
Davenport President Richard J. Pappas addresses attendees. Davenport University leaders, trustees, employees and guests gathered December 10 on [...]
Pictured from left to right: Susan Crkovski, executive campus director-Warren; Davenport student Jeryn Washington, BSN Pre-Licensure program; Davenport student Manar [...]


Davenport University President Richard J. Pappas is considered a top “power broker” in West Michigan and was named one of the most influential leaders by Crain’s Grand Rapids Business. The inaugural list names the 200 most influential leaders in the region.
