Clarke University Announces Change in Leadership

Clarke University has announced that Fletcher Lamkin has resigned and the Board of Trustees has accepted his resignation. In accordance with university bylaws, Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Yvonne Zimmerman has been named the acting president as the Board of Trustees determines next steps.  

“The Board has full confidence in Yvonne’s ability to fill this role,” said Carolyn Haupert ‘66, Chair for the Board of Trustees. “The Cabinet shares in the Board’s confidence and will partner with Yvonne to advance Clarke’s mission of life-long, life-changing learning through our core values of freedom, education, charity, and justice.”  

Yvonne joined Clarke in 2023 as the Dean of Academic Affairs and was appointed to the Vice President for Academic Affairs in 2024. Prior to Clarke, Yvonne was Professor of Christian Ethics at the Methodist Theological School in Ohio, a United Methodist seminary in Delaware, Ohio for fifteen years, and also served as the school’s Associate Academic Dean since 2017.    

“Since joining the Clarke University community two years ago, I have seen every day the deep commitment of our faculty, staff, and students to Clarke’s mission and values. I am honored by the opportunity to help guide this remarkable community into its next chapter of growth and renewal. A values-based education rooted in compassion, equality, and justice prepares students to lead with integrity and purpose and to help build a more compassionate and inclusive world. I am proud of the many ways Clarke continues to live out those ideals in both word and action.”