Jones was announced as the new permanent president of the university Wednesday afternoon by the Minnesota State Board of Trustees, who voted unanimously in support of Jones following Olson’s recommendation. He had been serving as the interim president since July 2025.

“We’d kind of given David Jones a test run because he was an interim, and there were other candidates to be interim, but it just felt at that time that he was the right choice,” Olson told the Independent and Marshall Radio, standing alongside Jones, following Thursday’s presentation. “That process of winnowing things down, there were three very strong candidates in the end. But, David Jones had the whole package. He had the enrollment management experience, the strategic experience, the system experience, the campus experience, the student centeredness, all of the things that you could imagine you would want for an SMSU president. He was the whole package.”

The upper conference center at SMSU flooded with campus staff, faculty, students and community members to socialize with one another and have the opportunity to meet with Jones and Olson.

“I received the call from the chancellor here the Saturday morning after the Gold Rush event (on Feb. 7),” Jones said regarding the moment he found out he got the job. “I couldn’t be more thrilled to have that extension, especially after having an opportunity to be part of a big, annual event, celebrating the university in several ways.”

Minnesota State Chancellor Scott Olson speaks at Dr. David Jones' welcome reception Thursday afternoon on campus.

The Gold Rush Raffle is a yearly fundraising initiative SMSU hosts.

According to Olson, there were 67 candidates that applied for the SMSU president position, and the search committee interviewed 13. Three finalists were then selected, including Jones, who went through campus interviews and public forums, along with reference and background checks.

“67 applicants … A lot of people wanted to come and be in Marshall. This place was seen as strong, and the community is attractive,” Olson said.

Olson detailed in his recommendation that Jones’ was right for the job with his three decades worth of experience in higher education across a multitude of roles at various universities, along with supportive and uplifting feedback he received during the interview process from formal references, direct reports, Marshall community members, and SMSU students, faculty and administration.

“Every stop along my career is going to add a little bit more to the inventory, whether it’s tools or experiences, to help hopefully build to the point of the leader that I am today,” Jones said. “It’s exciting to think that my most recent experience in doing a deep dive in enrollment across Minnesota and the midwest, understanding the landscape of that, is going to be really vital.”

Southwest Minnesota State University president Dr. David Jones (center) socializes at the welcome reception Thursday afternoon.

Specifically, Olson said that universities are facing enrollment challenges, and he has confidence in Jones and SMSU that the institution can continue its upward trajectory.

“This was no small thing in choosing him (Jones) to be the president. All of our institutions, particularly the state universities, are facing future enrollment challenges. Having a president who is an expert on enrollment management, on attracting students, on retaining students, this is going to be critical in the years to come,” Olson said. “For SMSU to prosper, for Marshall to prosper, we’re going to need folks who want to come here from other parts of the state, or even from the upper midwest … That’s a challenge facing all of higher ed, especially in Minnesota, especially the state universities. I think SMSU has a president here, who knows how to manage that.”

Jones’ position as SMSU’s new permanent president is effective immediately, and his first day on the job with the official title began Thursday.

“I think there’s great possibilities at this place, as there’s always been,” Jones said. “I’m very fortunate as the next leader to take the baton from the previous leadership, and hopefully try and get us a little bit further before it’s my time to pass it to someone else.”

Jones was initially hired as the interim after former SMSU president Kumara Jayasuriya announced his retirement last April, who managed a pivotal leadership role in the university’s notable enrollment success over recent years.

Southwest Minnesota State University president Dr. David Jones speaks to the room at the welcome reception on campus in the upper conference center Thursday afternoon.

During his seventh-month interim period, Jones acknowledged that Marshall quickly began to feel like home, to which he now can call it officially.

“One of the historical aspects, I think, of this community, is that people help people, and neighbors help neighbors,” Jones said. “I think it’s part of its ethos from years and years ago when the community was established. The number of times people have reached out like, ‘Hey, do you need help,’ or how to get connected, it’s just been wonderful.”

Southwest Minnesota State University president Dr. David Jones (left) stands with Minnesota State Chancellor Scott Olson (right) Thursday afternoon after Jones was announced as SMSU's new president on Wednesday.