Kaye Monk-Morgan first stepped foot on Wichita State’s campus when she was 18 years old. Now, she’s saying goodbye to her 30 year career at the university.

“It’s bittersweet,” Monk-Morgan said. “I spent more than half my life pouring into and trying to help grow and make Wichita State a premier education institution.”

Monk-Morgan, WSU’s current vice president for strategic engagement and planning, will start her new job as chief impact officer at the Kansas Leadership Center on April 18. 

The chief impact officer is a new role at KLC. In this position, Monk-Morgan will “continue teaching in leadership development programs and will serve as a facilitator for civic engagement experiences,” according to the press release. 

“[It’s to] elevate some of the work that’s being done in communities across the state of Kansas,” Monk-Morgan said. “To ensure that not only are we providing in-depth and positive leadership development, but that the communities in which we’re providing that development are also making progress on whatever issues [were] brought into KLC in the first place.”

Monk-Morgan has worked at KLC for the past three years as an associate of the teaching team.

“I do that now as a contract employee, kind of a side gig on, days off and ebekings. This certainly will elevate the level of commitment that I have,” she said. 

Monk-Morgan is still planning on being a part of the WSU community through alumni events and more.

“To kind of close that door, there’s always, I feel like, there’s always a window open, right?” Monk-Morgan said. “I don’t know that I’m ever going all that far away.”

Over the course of her career, Monk-Morgan got to see WSU expand and grow. 

“We didn’t have an Office of Diversity and Inclusion when I came to Wichita State, I started the first ever diversity related programs …  I had a chance to build those,” Monk-Morgan said.

“From being a student government senator, all the way to being a vice president, so lots of growth over the last three decades.”