Despite what you think of Heitkamp's politics, what McFeely says is true. She would not be using the job as a stepping stone to something better like Kennedy has, and she has a great personality for the job - she'll have a beer with anyone. Nonetheless, it's a long shot, but worth thinking about.
In the meantime, get Ed Schafer back to campus to be the interim president while the mess gets sorted out. I was a student when he was interim President in 2016 and he was a great presence to have on campus (way more visible than Kennedy, struck up conversations with students, and even taught a leadership class).