Kathrine Swanson
Interim President
(816) 584-6205
kathrine.swanson@park.edu
Park University’s Board of Trustees appointed Kathrine Swanson, Ed.D., to serve as the University’s interim president, effective Wednesday, April 23, 2025.
Swanson assumes the role as Park’s interim president following the announcement in February of Shane Smeed’s departure as Park’s president as he accepted the presidency at Utah Tech University and will begin his new duties on May 1.
A resident of Parkville, Swanson served as president of the Metropolitan Community College Longview Campus in Lee’s Summit, Mo., from August 2021 to August 2024. She also served MCC as its vice chancellor for student success and engagement from August 2015 to June 2023. Swanson joined MCC after having served as a higher education leader at Montgomery County (Pa.) Community College and Collin County (Texas) Community College (now known as Collin College). Prior to her work in community colleges, Swanson started her career in student services at Montana State University and Northern Arizona University.