Hendricks Chapel dean to step down, joins Indiana-based Lutheran college as president

Dean and Vice President of Hendricks Chapel Reverend Brian Konkol announced Tuesday that he will be stepping down, effective January 2026. Reverend Konkol has accepted a position as the 20th president of Valparaiso University, a Lutheran-affiliated college in Indiana. 

Konkol has been a part of SU’s faculty since 2017. In addition to his role in Hendricks Chapel, he is a professor of practice in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and a member of Chancellor Kent Syverud’s Executive Team. The announcement comes a few months after Syverud said he would step down from his 12-year role next summer. 

Before his service at Syracuse University, Konkol held religious positions across the globe, including posts in Guyana and South Africa. Before coming to Syracuse, he served as chaplain of  Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota. 

Konkol, who has a Master’s of Divinity from a Lutheran Seminary, will become chancellor of Valparaiso University, following a national search. He said in a Facebook post that he has always admired the school, especially for its upholding of the “Lutheran tradition of scholarship, freedom, and faith.” 

In his statement, he expressed a message of gratitude to the Syracuse community and Syverud.

“I thank God for our truly life-giving time together, and I wish for you to know that a large part of my heart will always be Orange,” Konkol said.

This story is currently developing and will be updated.