John D. Welty, a native of Amboy, Illinois, was the seventh and longest-serving president of Fresno State University before retiring on May 8, 2013.

He is the past-chair of the Renaissance Group, which is a national organization of over 30 universities charged with improving teacher education programs.

Welty co-chaired the CSU's effort to create CALState Teach, a program designed for emergency credentialed teachers.

He is past chair of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) and the Western Athletic Conference Board of Directors.

Some faculty have accused the university of making the appointment so that Brown-Welty could retire with a higher pension.