LINDSBORG -- Several years ago, computer company EDS launched a series of funny commercials: in one, cowboys related their experiences herding cats; another substitutes squirrels for bulls chasing runners through Pamplona.

But it's the third one that Edward Leonard III says is an apt metaphor for what he's doing as the 13th president of Bethany College.

"Building airplanes in the air -- that's really what we're doing here," Leonard said recently as the sound of heavy equipment at work in various places on the campus mingled in his office with sounds coming from a rehearsal in Presser Hall.

Since his arrival this past summer, the news coming out of Bethany has been impressive:

n The announcement of a collaboration with the Smoky Valley School District for a $1.2 million renovation of Anderson Stadium and Field, including widening the field to accommodate soccer, installing artificial turf, and renovations to the rest rooms and visitors' bleachers.

n The announcement of a $500,000 donation from a Minnesota couple who first met at the Messiah Festival more than 50 years ago, bringing the musical's permanent endowment to more than $1 million.

n The announcement of a $400,000 donation for scholarships for music education

n The announcement of a $1 million challenge donation, provided the university raises another $1 million by the end of June, with the money going to construction of a new Swedish chapel and welcome center on campus.

n A decision by the college's board of directors to issue $6 million in bonds, to add new science labs, weight and locker rooms, and new apartment-style student housing, plus various maintenance projects.

In addition, the college is in the midst of an expansive "campus green" project, which includes renovations of much of the landscape, plus the addition of a new entrance at the east side of campus, and a new stone amphitheater made from huge blocks of stone.

Oh, yeah, and the college is embarking on drafting a new strategic plan, looking out as far as 2031, which will be the school's 150th anniversary. As part of that, Leonard is on a 22-city tour of Kansas and the United States, meeting with Bethany alums and asking for their suggestions.

Isn't it a little backwards to be making decisions to build new science labs, dorms and other improvements -- not to mention take on $6 million in new debt -- before knowing what the plan is?

"Absolutely," Leonard replies. The usual way for any organization to work, he acknowledges, is by the old mantra "Plan your work and then work your plan."

But, he adds, "Why would you want to slow down all of this work?" and he returns to the image of building airplanes in the air.

"I don't think anyone years from now is going to say 'Why did you do this?' and think it all came out of left field," he said.

President Guitar Hero

Yet despite all the work on increasing giving to the school, and keeping dirt flying, Leonard hasn't lost sight of students, and insists it's improving the student experience that will drive the school's growth.

Citing "In Search of Excellence," the 1980s best-seller among the MBA-crowd -- Leonard holds an MBA from St. Louis University, as well as a Ph.D. from the University of Missouri at Kansas city, and a bachelor's in philosophy from William Jewell College -- he says one of the most important things for an organization to do is "stay close to the customer."

Taking that message to heart, he spent three weeks living in the Gregory Hall dorm on campus, with two freshmen and a senior.

"It was actually a great experience," said Gabe Harter, a senior from Hiawatha who shared a room with Leonard.

Harter admits "At first I was a little skeptical about having this old guy living with me." But it didn't take long for Leonard to be accepted by students, who quickly welcomed him into the fold -- and became open about their concerns.

"We sat around and talked about what movies are popular with college students now, we played 'Guitar Hero' and 'Mario Party,' " Harter said, adding that Leonard "needs some practice -- it was pretty funny" watching him play the video game in which players strum various rock songs on a guitar-like game controller.

More seriously, Harter said, "It was a candid experience for the students, none of us really held anything back."

Leonard's stay in Gregory Hall was before the building was rewired for high-speed Internet, Harter said, and "He got to hear all about that. It took probably a day for people to open up."

In talking with students, Leonard told them he saw them as the customers, and wanted to do what he could to meet their needs.

Gregory Hall now has upgraded Internet service, for example.

"With all of this construction, it would be easy for him to lose focus on students, but he hasn't," Harter said.

Where can I get a meal?

Other changes might be more difficult.

"One thing that emerged was access to food late at night," Leonard said, describing coming back from a football game with his roommates one night -- and they were hungry, as is common with college-age students.

After 10 p.m. in Lindsborg, options are limited: "We nuked burritos at Casey's," a convenience store a few blocks from campus.

At Georgia College and State University, in Milledgeville, Ga,, where Leonard was director of development years ago, the campus had a Chick-Fil-A franchise, he said, and he's open to helping bring that sort of option for both students and the broader community in Lindsborg.

"I would love for an entrepreneur to come in and do something -- but I'm not going to wait," he said. And that restaurant, possibly in the student union, could serve not only Bethany students and staff, but the larger community as well.

As guest speaker at the Lindsborg Chamber of Commerce's annual dinner in January, Leonard said he doesn't think the city and the college should have a symbiotic relationship, in which each needs the other to survive, but rather a synergistic relationship,

"By working together, we actually grow," he said.

It's good when dirt flies

All the projects now under way at Bethany should be finished in five years, but Leonard said the campus will continue to change.

"Five years from now, I'd hope we still have construction going on," he said. "Dirt flying on a college campus is a sign of vitality."

After all, it will take several more residence halls to house the enrollment of 750 to 800 Leonard hopes to have by 2013; he's expecting 850 in seven years.

Enrollment this spring is 482, a 3 percent increase over spring of 2007. However, Leonard points out that fall 2007 enrollment of 537 was down from 554 in the fall of 2006.

"We'll know this fall if that was a one-time blip, but I think it was," Leonard said. "I'm always an optimist."

That would represent a huge turnaround from just a few years ago: In 2004, the college was running annual deficits of several hundred thousand dollars, and announced faculty and staff layoffs.

Tad Doering, who lives in Apex, N.C., has been on the college's board of directors since 2002, and now serves as its chairman. He graduated in 1981, and sees the optimism as always having been there -- it's not some new development.

"But with the change to a new president, the institution and board of directors, along with Dr. Leonard, have had an opportunity to look at Bethany with fresh eyes," Doering said. "We've decided to focus on what needs to happen to drive a Bethany renaissance; strategic decisions that will make our long-term vision for the college a reality.

"Over the past 18 months to two years -- and particularly with the hiring of a new president -- all constituents of the college knew the time was right to reinvigorate Bethany. Healthy and dynamic academic programs, a strong advancement office, an aggressive student recruiting team and a campus that meets the needs of students today are key parts to a vital Bethany College," Doering said. "... Many seeds have already been planted, and we're now seeing their growth. We're going to plant more seeds and continue to nurture them -- continue to add more value, ensuring that students continue to leave Bethany nurtured and ready to make a difference in the world."

Harter was at Bethany as a student when optimism wasn't so prevalent.

"It's a really optimistic atmosphere," he said. "I can really notice a difference between this year and last year. When I was a freshman, a lot of us thought the facilities were really sub-par; the locker rooms, the residence halls, it seemed like nobody cared about those things. What made Bethany then was there were great people to be around. But all the upgrades are really important; now we have the great people and those upgrades."

n Reporter Mike Strand can be reached at 822-1418 or by e-mail at mstrand@salina.com.