Marian University names COO Kenith C. Britt as president; Daniel Elsener to step down June 30, 2027
Marian University announced on Sept. 16, 2026 that President Daniel J. Elsener will leave the presidency on June 30, 2027 and become president emeritus, and the Board has unanimously selected Chief Operating Officer Kenith C. Britt as his successor.
Marian University President Daniel J. Elsener will step down on June 30, 2027 after more than 25 years leading the institution, the university announced Sept. 16, 2026. The Board of Trustees unanimously selected Kenith C. Britt, Marian’s chief operating officer and chancellor of its Indianapolis campus, to succeed Elsener. Britt, who joined Marian in 2013, is expected to work with Elsener and other leaders during a transition before assuming the presidency.
Elsener, who became president in 2001 when the school was Marian College, oversaw growth from about 1,100 undergraduates to roughly 5,000 students and guided additions such as the Tom and Julie Wood College of Osteopathic Medicine and the E.S. Witchger School of Engineering. Elsener said he plans to take a sabbatical before serving as president emeritus; Marian is marking its 175th anniversary this year.
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