Interim President Gavin Leach ’85, ‘99
Gavin Leach, a Northern Michigan University alumnus who has worked at NMU for 36 years—the last 18 as vice president for Finance and Administration–was named interim president by the NMU Board of Trustees, effective July 1, 2025, while a nationwide search is conducted to replace Dr. Brock Tessman, who held the position from 2023-25.
Leach has worked directly with eight NMU presidents and more than 30 board members. He has also been the treasurer of the NMU Board of Trustees since 2007.
As vice president, Leach has developed and led strategies related to annual and long-term planning for NMU's $200 million yearly operating budget. He has also overseen the university's treasury, finance, budget, technology, facilities, dining and auxiliary, financial aid and Health Center operations.
Leach has led several major initiatives at Northern, including the rural broadband Educational Access Network (EAN), which serves 115 rural communities across the U.P., and the notebook computer initiative. He has overseen more than $300 million construction projects at NMU as part of a cam pus modernization plan. Recently, he co-led an effort that eliminated $761 million in unfunded pension and other post-employment benefit (OPEB) liabilities for the seven Michigan universities required to be part of the MPSERS state retirement program.
Beyond his campus responsibilities, Leach has represented Northern on several national, state and local boards and committees. These include the Merit Corporation, Northern Initiatives Inc., Michigan Universities Coalition on Health Inc. and the Marquette Economic Club. He was previously appointed to two governor commissions: the 21st Century Infrastructure Commission in 2016, the same year he received the Governor's Michigan Digital Government Excellence in Technology Collaborator of the Year Award; and the Michigan Council on Advanced Networks in 2018.
Leach's early career outside of higher education included positions as a senior tax analyst for both Arthur Andersen & Company, and MTS Systems Corporation. After joining Northern in 1989, he ascended through the following ranks of increased responsibility before assuming his most recent role: senior accountant; budget analyst; senior financial analyst; budget director; acting chief financial officer; and associate vice president for Finance and Planning. Leach holds a bachelor's degree in accounting and a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from NMU.
He and his wife Robin, who he began dating while they were both students at NMU, are the parents of adult sons Aaron, a resident physician, and Garrett, an IT professional – both also NMU alumni. A hockey player in his youth, Leach enjoys cheering on the NMU Wildcat sports teams as well as the Detroit Lions, Tigers and Red Wings; playing golf, traveling and learning about emerging technology.
