In the final installment of his four-part reflection series, President Jim Burkee reflects on Avila University’s identity, the leadership that has fueled its transformation, and the bold vision for its future — grounded in mission and focused on impact.
Identity, Focus, and the Road Ahead
If there’s one lesson these past three years have reinforced, it’s that bold, focused leadership makes all the difference. At Avila, we’ve learned to set audacious yet achievable goals — and then pursue them with relentless discipline.
But bold doesn’t mean chasing every opportunity. The most effective goals are simple, strategic, and focused on where the greatest impact lies.
Our leadership team recently read 10x Is Better Than 1x, a reminder that in a world of limited time and resources, success comes from focusing on the initiatives that offer transformational, exponential growth — and resisting the temptation to pour energy into projects that deliver only incremental, marginal gains.
That philosophy has shaped our approach. We’ve invested heavily in Arizona, international partnerships, and our Global Student Success initiatives because they carry the potential to redefine Avila’s future — not just nudge it forward.
Balancing Opportunity with Risk
We’ve also learned that even promising initiatives can carry risk — especially when we shoulder the entire burden alone.
Take Ridgway Hall — soon to be Buchanan Hall — as an example. It’s a vital project that will benefit our campus for years to come, but because Avila carried the full financial responsibility, the project’s million-dollar cost overruns strained our finances this year and served as a sobering reminder of how risk can quickly undermine good intentions.
That experience reinforced why we seek partnerships wherever possible. When we collaborate with others — in Arizona, Tunisia, or through other shared ventures — we magnify the upside while keeping the risk manageable. It’s a strategic balance: pursue the 10x opportunities, but do so in a way that protects the institution.
Surrounding Ourselves with Great People
None of this happens in isolation. Another lesson that’s become crystal clear: surround yourself with great people.
I remember my first year at Avila, barely comfortable leaving campus for a day, knowing how much of the daily load still fell on my shoulders. Today, that’s changed.
Leaders like Dr. Andy Jett, Dr. Tom Jandris, Dr. Bryan DePoy, Jody Mitchell, Abdul Amini, and Curtis Burton have built teams that allow me to step away, confident that the mission not only continues but thrives.
Our Board, under the steady guidance of outgoing Chair Tom Burns and incoming Chair Dr. Ibraheem Badejo, has been unwaveringly supportive while holding us to the highest standards.
And I would be remiss not to acknowledge the five Sisters of St. Joseph on our Board, whose presence, wisdom, and lived example of servant leadership ground this institution in its founding values.
Our faculty and staff — from Dr. Leslie Smith and Dr. Erin Holt, to our TRIO and advising teams, to Miss Ollie greeting students with her familiar smile — demonstrate daily that mission-driven leadership leaves no room for drama.
When you’re clear about who you are and why you’re here, distractions fall away.
Identity as Operational Strategy
That clarity — that unwavering sense of identity — has never mattered more.
Over a decade ago I participated in the Thrivent Fellows program and found mentors like Dr. Loren Anderson and Dr. Tom Cedel, both former university presidents. I was reminded by them that identity isn’t a tagline. It’s the lens through which every decision passes.
For Avila, that identity flows directly from the charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet.
It means serving the dear neighbor without distinction.
It means confronting economic and social inequality by expanding access to education.
It means modeling diversity and pluralism not as slogans, but as daily practices — in hiring, in leadership, in how we treat one another.
Matthew 18 calls us to right relationships — to resolve conflict with humility, to lead with compassion and accountability. At Avila, that’s not just scripture — it’s operational strategy.
Where We’re Headed
Where is Avila headed? The truth is, Kansas City is too small for the CSJ charism. And the need for what that charism represents has never been greater.
Rising inequality? We are there to provide access.
Rising tribalism? We offer a home where everyone belongs.
Our vision is bold but grounded: 10,000 students by decade’s end — through Arizona, international partnerships, and initiatives still unfolding. But enrollment is just a metric. The real measure is impact — lifting communities, expanding access, and living our mission on a global scale.
We do so, always, inspired by those who paved the way — courageous women like Mother St. John Fontbonne, imprisoned during the French Revolution yet unwavering in her faith.
The six Sisters who left everything behind to bring education and hope to the Americas.
The Sisters who marched with Dr. King in Selma, standing for justice.
And today, their modern-day counterparts — the Sisters of St. Joseph, our faculty, staff, alumni, and students — lifting up communities, modeling lives of service, and striving every day to be the hands and feet of Jesus to a world that desperately needs it.
This is Avila’s moment — bold, focused, grounded in identity, and propelled by the courage and wisdom of those who showed us the way.
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