CLU prepares leader

Ask Chris Kimball's colleagues to describe him, and they consistently say he's the kind of guy you'd like to hang out with.

Maybe that's because Kimball, who was named the new president of California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, makes it a point to listen, whether he's talking with a student, professor or community leader.

"He's got a lot of empathy," said Michele LeBlanc, chairwoman of CLU's science division. "It's refreshing to see a real person in such a high position of leadership."

Kimball, who has been provost at CLU for almost two years, will take over Tuesday as president.

His new job will require him to be the university's primary ambassador and fundraiser, work that will require some other skills than the ones he has used as a history professor and faculty leader.

Yet it's hard to find anyone on campus who doesn't feel the 52-year-old Thousand Oaks resident is up to the job.

Kimball brings to the presidency a rare combination of intellect, integrity and self-effacing wit, said the Rev. Howard Wennes, who has been serving as interim president.

"Nobody comes in with a proven track record of everything a president needs to do, because it's such a complex position," Wennes said, "but he's an apt student of whatever he takes on."

Bringing in more money

Kimball understands the university's goals because he helped develop them, serving on CLU's strategic plan committee while he was provost, colleagues said.

That plan, which sets out the university's priorities over the next four years, calls for CLU to continue strengthening its academic reputation, offer competitive salaries and build new arts and science buildings.

The university also wants to strengthen its science program, training students so they are ready to take jobs at local biotechnology companies, such as Amgen and Baxter Bioscience.

As provost, Kimball demonstrated his backing of the sciences, sending faculty members to conferences on undergraduate science education, LeBlanc said.

"He's immensely supportive of the sciences, though he's not in the sciences himself," LeBlanc said. "He understands what it means to be excellent in science."

All those goals will require expanding relationships outside the university and bringing in more money, priorities for his presidency, Kimball said.

"Our reputation is good, but it needs to be wider and better," he said. "This place is really in a growth mode."

Kimball is not one of those academics who's always known he wanted be a professor. As a kid growing up in New England, he wanted to play professional baseball. There was just one problem.

"I was a pitcher, but I couldn't get anyone out," he said.

Kimball didn't play beyond high school, but baseball remains his passion, specifically the Boston Red Sox.

Walk into Kimball's office, take a seat at the table where he meets with visitors, and that passion is obvious. A miniature model of Fenway Park — a gift from his family, who still live in New England — sits on the table. Next to that is a miniature Red Sox baseball cap, and next to that is a model of CLU's Ullman Stadium and Sparky Anderson Field.

Baseball has even figured into Kimball's academic work. At Augsburg College in Minneapolis, he taught a class on the history of baseball, which examined labor and gender issues. He's also working with an Augsburg colleague on a book about historic ballparks in the Twin Cities.

While a huge baseball fan, Kimball also is very much an academic, bringing a sharp intellect to his work, colleagues say.

"He embodies academic excellence, but he's approachable at the same time," Wennes said.

Before coming to CLU, Kimball taught history for 15 years at Augsburg, a private Lutheran school. He started getting into administration there, serving as president of the Faculty Senate and chairman of the History Department. In 2000, he was named academic vice president and dean of the college.

A leadership philosophy

At Augsburg, he also became a father, a role he believes has made him both a better professor and a better administrator.

"I realized every student I had was somebody's child," he said. "I was much more forgiving. Not all the time. But being a parent was humbling."

Over his years in both the classroom and administration offices, Kimball has developed a leadership philosophy that emphasizes listening, looking for strengths and then communicating as clearly as possible, carefully avoiding the obfuscation that can be so common in academia.

"One thing I like about Lutheran colleges is that you look at the good first," Kimball said.

"Listening first can help take you a long way."

--- Published in the Ventura County Star on March 29, 2008