Keith Pretty, B.S. ’73, is president and CEO of Northwood University, a private, nonprofit, accredited institution that specializes in managerial and entrepreneurial education and has full-service, residential campuses in Midland, MI, West Palm Beach, FL, and Cedar Hill, TX.
A former captain of the Bronco football team, Pretty was drafted by the Green Bay Packers during his senior year. After a short tenure with the Packers, he accepted a teaching position at Portage (MI) Northern High School.
In 1975, he accepted a staff position in the Michigan Legislature. While in Lansing, he earned a juris doctorate from Thomas M. Cooley Law School. He joined the Amoco Corp. in 1980 and held several key governmental affairs positions, including senior Washington representative for the corporation.
Pretty returned to WMU in 1987 as vice president for legislative relations and general counsel. He took on additional responsibilities in 1993 when he was named vice president for external affairs and general counsel as well as CEO of the WMU Foundation.
In 1999, Pretty was chosen to lead Walsh College as its president and CEO. During his seven-year tenure, he led the reaccreditation efforts, launched a strategic plan that resulted in a sharp growth in enrollment and concluded a successful capital campaign.
Pretty became Northwood’s third president in October 2006. In addition to forming a new leadership team of officers, he implemented a comprehensive strategic plan. Key actions from the strategic plan included launching the DeVos MBA program at the Texas and Florida campuses and significantly enhancing the school’s international presence.