OCU president to retire in June

The president of Oklahoma City University will retire next year.

President Martha Burger announced Monday morning her final day in office will be June 30.

Burger, 67, was hired in 2018.

“I have enjoyed the opportunity to serve this great university and I am looking forward to a meaningful and productive year ahead while we navigate a new way of delivering the unique OCU education during the COVID19 pandemic,” Burger wrote in an emailed announcement.

Before her tenure as president, Burger had a lengthy career in the energy industry, including 20 years at Chesapeake Energy, where she became senior vice president of human and corporate resources. She earned her master's degree in business administration from OCU in 1992 and an honorary doctorate of humane letters in 2012.

Burger served on the university's Board of Trustees for 10 years before she was selected as OCU' s 18 th president.

She will volunteer as a fundraiser for OCU after her retirement, she wrote in her announcement.

“I believe we have positioned our institution for successful advancement, and I am excited to further direct my talents toward that effort in retirement,” Burger wrote. “In this way, I can continue contributing to the progress we have made in fiscal stability and to ensure future Stars have access to an OCU education.”

Board of Trustees Chairman Paul McLaughlin will for map re sid enti al search committee this month. The committee — made up of trustees, administrators and faculty — will conduct a national search for candidates.