More than a year after the position became available, WKU has a new associate vice president of Enrollment Management.

Brian Meredith, the admissions director at the University of Memphis, was announced as the new associate vice president on Monday via email to faculty and staff from Gordon Emslie, Provost and vice president for Academic Affairs.

Meredith, who was selected following a nationwide search, will begin his new position on July 18, pending approval from the Board of Regents.

In his email, Emslie said Meredith “emerged as a clear first choice” to fill the position.

“As you are aware, Enrollment Management has become a critical priority for WKU,” Emslie said. “Notably, a Retention Task Force, which Dr. Meredith will co-chair, has recently been formed to address student retention and success.”

In a WKU press release, Meredith said he is excited to take on this new position.

“My background in leading enrollment service initiatives as well as working with students and families through the college selection process will serve me well as I evolve into this new role,” he said.

Meredith, who earned a doctorate of education from Memphis, joined the staff there in 1996 as a special projects technician in the Office of Student Relations. Meredith held several jobs at the university before becoming the admissions director in 2008, the same year he was named the Administrator of the Year Award at Memphis.

With little more than a month before his new position begins, Meredith said he plans to hit the ground running when he arrives at WKU.

The newly filled position manages enrollment at WKU by working through divisions such as admissions and financial aid, as well as with the prospective students, Dale Brown, interim associate vice president for Enrollment Management, told the Herald in March.

Brown filled the position after Dean Kahler left the role to work with the NAVITAS program at WKU in April 2010.

Two finalists for the job — Patsy Reynolds, director of admissions at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and Beth Wolfe, director of recruitment at Marshall University — were announced in February. However, in March, the search committee extended the search to April 15.

Bob Owen, vice president of Information Technology and search committee head, told the Herald in March that the committee wanted to “increase the pool of qualified candidates.”

Last month, Owen announced via email two new finalists — Meredith, and Lee Young, vice provost for Enrollment Management and Student Services at Nevada State College.

Meredith and Lee both took part in a series of open forums before the committee made a recommendation to Emslie.