Father McKenna Center Welcomes Dan Kerns As President

This week, Dan Kerns began his new role as the president of the Father McKenna Center, a day shelter for homeless men that's located in the basement of St. Aloysius Church on Gonzaga's campus. The former Head of School at Georgetown Visitation and a longtime McKenna Center volunteer, Dan takes over for Kim Cox, who retired at the end of 2021 after seven years leading the center.

"During a comprehensive and competitive search for our next leader, the Board of Directors was thrilled that Dan felt called to step forward to serve our community in this important leadership role," wrote Paul Warren '68, Chair of the Father McKenna Center's Board of Directors, in an email. "Dan brings a wealth of experience as an organizational leader and an authentic commitment to Father McKenna's vision."

Kim Cox will stay on through the month of January to help with the transition. "I am so grateful to be able to pick up on the wisdom that Kim has gained in her seven years of creative and decisive leadership," said Dan. "And I'm excited to join such a loyal and dedicated team who lives out the compassionate legacy of Father McKenna day in and day out. I also look forward to continuing the dynamic partnership between the center and Gonzaga -- a partnership that I believe complements and strengthens each organization's mission and character."

The Gonzaga community looks forward to welcoming Dan -- the parent of two Gonzaga grads, Matt '15 and Danny '18 -- to Eye Street!