John Smith-Coppes, EdD ’17, MBA, has been appointed Co-President, Academics, of West Coast University in Irvine, California, serving alongside Co-President of Operations. He brings extensive leadership experience to the role, most recently serving as President and CEO at Joyce University of Nursing and Health Sciences, where he led academic affairs, curriculum development, and institutional transformation over three years.
Prior to Joyce University, Dr. Smith-Coppes spent more than a decade in senior leadership at Rasmussen University, including as Vice President and Executive Director of its School of Nursing, one of the nation’s largest nursing programs. His career has focused on innovation in health sciences education and student success.
Dr. Smith-Coppes received his doctorate in Higher Education and Organizational Change from BenU, an MBA from Bethel University, and he also completed graduate education at Harvard University.
