Kalamazoo's John Boley '76 appointed to Albion College Board of Trustees
Albion, MI (07/01/2026) — John Boley, a 1976 graduate of Albion College whose career has spanned the law, military service, and ministry, has joined the college's Board of Trustees for a three-year term beginning July 1.
Boley grew up in United Methodist parsonages in the Detroit area and came to Albion after graduating from Detroit Redford High School in 1972. A political science major, he embraced the small-college experience - swimming, intramural sports, dorm-life friendships, and a semester abroad in Aix-en-Provence, France. Decades later, he remains a committed champion of a liberal arts education.
His path after Albion was anything but ordinary. He completed Officer Candidate School and served as an officer in the U.S. Navy, separating as a lieutenant, before earning his law degree from Case Western Reserve University in 1983 and practicing corporate and commercial law at the Grand Rapids firm Varnum.
Answering a longstanding call to ministry, Boley and his family relocated to North Carolina, where he earned a Master of Divinity from Duke University in 1992. He went on to serve in United Methodist pastorates in Mancelona, Lansing, Mt. Pleasant, and Kalamazoo, later becoming Kalamazoo District Superintendent and then clergy assistant to the bishop. Though officially retired in 2020, he continued to serve Bishop David Bard for three more years.
Boley and his wife, Diane Gartner Boley, live in Kalamazoo and have three children and four grandchildren.
"It is a great privilege and responsibility to serve on the Albion College Board of Trustees. I hope that my wonderful experience as an Albion student translates into being able to assist with current challenges and long-term vision," Boley said.
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About Albion College
Albion College is a top-ranked, top-value liberal arts college and one of Michigan's three original chartered institutions of higher learning. Named a 2025 Carnegie Opportunity College and University-one of just 10 nationwide-Albion guarantees real-world learning for every student and the skills sought after by employers, from internships, consulting, community service, and mentored research to clinical placements and global study, across more than 80 areas of study. With an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio and dedicated advising before classes begin, Albion delivers results: 98% of graduates are employed, in graduate school, or in service programs within six months, and pre-med students enjoy a 96% medical school acceptance rate-among the highest in the state. The walkable campus sits on the Kalamazoo River, with 24 highly-competitive Division III sports, 100+ student-led clubs and organizations, active Greek Life, and its own Amtrak stop.
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