Dan McKeown named chair of SJU Board of Trustees

Dan McKeown, a 1985 graduate of Saint John’s University, was elected chair of the SJU Board of Trustees at its May 13 meeting. He has been on the SJU Board of Trustees since 2013.

Dan’s father, Tom ‘52, was chair of the SJU Board of Regents from 1987-92. This marks the first father-son combination to serve as board chair at SJU.

McKeown graduated from SJU with a degree in economics and is president and CEO of Specialty Manufacturing Company, which manufactures a variety of flow controls products from ball valves, check valve, hydraulic couplers, dental valves and pool pumps serving industries in food and beverage, chemical dispensing, water purification, agriculture and commercial pools.   

“I am humbled and honored to be selected as chair of the Board of Trustees for Saint John's University,” McKeown said. “Three generations of my family attended Saint John’s over the course of five decades, and the university has had a significant impact throughout our lives. As I look back as an alum of Saint John's, I appreciate my time there as both a student and an athlete.

“Saint John’s is a unique undergraduate experience grounded in a strong liberal arts education, located in a beautiful tight-knit community and surrounded by our Catholic and Benedictine heritage. Saint John's has centered my life in values of faith, humility, hospitality and lifelong learning. I look forward to working with my fellow board members, our President Dr. Michael Hemesath, and his staff to ensure that a Saint John’s education remains viable, valuable and available to young men of all faiths and backgrounds.”

He is involved in his local Rotary Club, Minnesota Precision Manufacturing Association and Vistage, which provides professionally facilitated peer advisory groups that help CEOs, business owners and senior executives become better leaders, make better decisions and achieve better results.

Previously, McKeown was involved in the information technology industry. He has served on numerous boards including Platinum Bank, Mounds Park Academy, the Rotary Club of St. Paul, The William Boss Foundation and St. Michael Lutheran Church. McKeown and his wife, Heidi, have two children, Desmond '15 and Isabel '18.

“We are delighted that Dan McKeown has generously agreed to serve as the chair of the Board of Trustees, and I am personally looking forward to working with him to strengthen our alma mater for future students,” said Hemesath ‘81.

“Dan is not only a graduate, but he is a legacy, a parent, a sibling or an uncle of multiple Johnnies and Bennies,” Hemesath added. “Dan brings a depth of experience with Saint John’s and Saint Ben’s that is virtually unrivaled among our alumni, to say nothing of our trustees. His love and appreciation for this place and community makes him the ideal board chair to help lead us during these exciting and challenging times in higher education.”