St. Joseph’s University names interim president

St. Joseph's University named its senior vice president as interim president last week, while the search for a permanent replacement continues, university officials announced.

John W. Smithson will take over on May 18, following the departure of president Timothy R. Lannon, who is leaving to become president of Creighton University in Omaha.

St. Joseph's had selected as its new president the Rev. Joseph O'Keefe, who at the time was dean of the school of education at Boston College, but he withdrew in March when health issues emerged.

Smithson had served as a university trustee at St. Joseph's from 1999 to 2007 and chaired the board from 2003 to 2007. He has been senior vice president since February 2010. Before coming to St. Joseph's, he was senior vice president at Towers Watson Reinsurance and CEO and president of PMA Capital Corp.   - Susan Snyder