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.”