Presidential Perspectives

Dr. Christopher B. Nelson President, St. John's College

Chapter 10: Dr. Christopher B. Nelson has been President of St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland, since June 1991. He is an alumnus of St. John's (B.A. 1970) and a graduate of the University of Utah College of Law (J.D. 1973), where he founded and directed the university's student legal services program. He practiced law in Chicago for 18 years and was chairman of his law firm when he left the practice to take his current position at St. John's College.

A member of the Maryland Independent College and University Association (MICUA) since 1991, Dr. Nelson has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors. He is a Past Chair and a founding member of the Annapolis Group, a consortium of more than 120 of the nation's leading liberal arts colleges. He chairs the Board of Trustees of Shimer College. He also is a member of the Board of the Historic Annapolis Foundation and serves as its Treasurer and Chair of the Finance Committee. Dr. Nelson has also served on the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) Board of Directors and its Executive Committee, the NAICU Task Force on Accountability and Public Information, and the NAICU Task Force on Appropriate Accountability, Regulation, and Assessment.

Dr. Nelson has been a panelist and speaker on state, regional, and national programs concerning liberal education, great books, issues of institutional autonomy in the face of government regulatory intrusion, and changes proposed in the accrediting system. He is a published author on issues facing higher education.

Dr. Nelson can be reached at chris.nelson@sjca.edu

Dr. Richard B. Flynn President, Springfield College

Chapter 9: Richard B. Flynn became the 12th president of Springfield College in March 1999. Prior to Springfield, Flynn was with the University of Nebraska at Omaha as Dean of the College of Education, and Special Assistant to the Chancellor for Information Science and Technology. He also served the Nebraska System as Acting President of Peru State College. Early in his tenure at Springfield College he proposed, and the Board of Trustees endorsed, an aggressive strategic plan which has served as a guide to move the College forward. Many significant changes have resulted, thereby enhancing the quality of academic programming and quality of life for students, faculty and staff. Campus improvements over the past decade have been dramatic. A new campus union is scheduled for completion late fall of 2009 and represents the most recent in a series of new construction and renovation projects. Dr. Flynn’s commitment to being ‘a part of, and not apart from’ the community has led to an expansion of the College’s involvement with its local neighborhoods and the City of Springfield. He is personally active in the community serving on many local boards and committees. The College’s community engagement initiatives and economic impact on the greater Springfield area have been acknowledged by multiple local, state, and national entities. A graduate of MacMurray College, Dr. Flynn earned his master's degree from Ohio University and doctorate in education from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Dr. Flynn can be reached at rflynn@spfldcol.edu

Dr. Thomas J. Haas President, Grand Valley State University

Chapter 8: President Thomas J. Haas is Grand Valley State University’s fourth president. During the past 25 years, Haas has been a tenured faculty member, department chair, dean, vice president and president. Just prior to his appointment in 2006, Haas was president of the State University of New York Cobleskill. He is a 1973 honors graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and served two years on the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Acacia in Port Huron. He then earned a Master of Science in chemistry and another in environmental health sciences at the University of Michigan. Haas also holds a Master of Science in human resource management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, NY) and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Connecticut (Storrs, CT). Haas is an internationally recognized expert in hazardous material transportation and has published more than 70 articles in a variety of journals. In addition to his appointment as president of Grand Valley, Haas has also been appointed professor of chemistry. He is active in the community, serving on the board for Grand Rapids Medical Education and Research Center, Grand Rapids Economic Club, Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce, and Grand Rapids Opera. He is a member of the Grand Rapids Rotary Club, consultant and evaluator for North Central Association Higher Learning Commission and a Commissioner for the American Council of Education Commission on Effective Leadership. He is also president of the Michigan Public Universities Presidents Council.

Dr. Haas can be reached at haastj@gvsu.edu

Dr. Thomas V. Chema President, Hiram College

Chapter 7: After more than thirty years of leadership experience in business, government and the law, Thomas V. Chema was named president of Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio, in 2004. For eleven years, he served as a member of Hiram’s Board of Trustees.

During his presidency, enrollment in Hiram’s undergraduate programs has increased by more than 50 percent, and the campus has been transformed with the addition of new buildings. Increased corporate, government and foundation support has contributed to a positive financial picture, allowing for new academic programs and other initiatives. Chema has increased Hiram’s visibility by serving in a leadership role in a number of national and Ohio-based higher education associations.

After becoming a partner at a Cleveland-based law firm in 1979, Chema served as Executive Director of the Ohio Lottery Commission and was later named Chairman of the Ohio Public Utilities Commission. In 1990, he was appointed to oversee the public/private partnership that led to the financing and construction of a professional baseball stadium/basketball arena complex in downtown Cleveland. He has consulted across the country on sports and entertainment-related economic development projects and is recognized as an expert on energy and telecommunications economics and regulation, infrastructure planning and public/private partnerships.

Chema is a 1968 Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Notre Dame and a 1971 Cum Laude graduate of the Harvard Law School.

Dr. Chema can be reached at chematv@hiram.edu.

Dr. David Sweet President, Youngstown State University

Chapter 6: Dr. David Sweet became Youngstown State University’s president in July 2000 and mapped out a course that included three priorities: enrollment, diversity, and partnerships. The University has made great strides in all three areas. Since 2000, enrollment has grown by 25 percent to 14,700 and is now at the highest level in 17years. The number of minority students has more than doubled and represents 20 percent of students. And the University has initiated partnerships with the city of Youngstown, the Youngstown city school districts, and business, government, and non-profit organizations throughout the region.

Previously, Dr. Sweet was dean and professor of the Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State, director of the Ohio Department of Development, commissioner of the Ohio Public Utilities Commission, and director of regional economic research at the Battelle Institute in Columbus, Ohio.

Dr. Sweet holds a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University, an M.A. from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and a B.A. from the University of Rochester.

After a decade of success and service, Dr. Sweet and his wife, Pat, will retire from the presidency on June 30, 2010.

Dr. Sweet can be reached at dcsweet@ysu.edu.

Dr. Ronald A. Crutcher President, Wheaton College in Massachusetts

Chapter 5: Dr. Ronald A. Crutcher became the seventh president of Wheaton on July 1, 2004; he was inaugurated on April 16, 2005. Since coming to Wheaton, Dr. Crutcher has led a strategic planning process that has engaged the entire college community in envisioning the components necessary for continued leadership in the liberal arts for the twenty-first century. The strategic plan, Wheaton 2014: Transforming Lives to Change the World, was unanimously approved by the Board of Trustees in October 2006 and is now being implemented.

A recognized leader in the field of higher education, Dr. Crutcher currently serves on the Board of Directors for the American Council on Education (ACE), the primary umbrella organization for all higher education institutions. He also serves as co-chair of LEAP (Liberal Education and America’s Promise), the Association of American Colleges and Universities’ (AAC&U’s) national campaign to demonstrate the value of liberal education. He is past chair of the AAC&U’s board.

A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Miami University, Dr. Crutcher pursued graduate studies at Yale University as a Woodrow Wilson and Ford Foundation Fellow. In 1979, he was the first cellist to receive the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Yale. The recipient of a Fulbright Award, he is fluent in German and studied music in that country.

Dr. Crutcher can be reached at crutcher_ronald@wheatoncollege.edu.

Dr. Dan Angel President, Golden State University

Chapter 4: Dan Angel was appointed President of Golden Gate University in January of 2007. His career includes five other Presidencies: Marshall University (WV), Stephen F. Austin University (TX), Austin Community College (TX), Citrus College (CA) and Imperial Valley College (CA). He was elected to the State Legislature in Michigan and served as a Special Assistant to a U.S. Senator in Washington D.C. His university teaching experience includes Purdue University, Wayne State University, the University of Delaware, Albion College and Queens College in NYC.

A prolific writer, he has published 12 books including a political biography of former Michigan Governor George Romney, a primer on long range planning, and a book on management.

His educational credentials include a BS and MA (Education) from Wayne State University and a PhD earned at Purdue (Communications). Major public service assignments have included membership on the Federal Reserve Board (Dallas). Career honors include: Distinguished Alumnus at Wayne State University (Michigan), Public Administrator of the Year (Austin, TX) and an invitation to the Oxford Roundtable (England).

Dr. Angel can be reached at dangel@ggu.edu.

Dr. Rosemary Jeffries President, Georgian Court University

Chapter 3: Dr. Rosemary E. Jeffries, RSM, became the eighth president of Georgian Court University in Lakewood, New Jersey on July 1, 2001. Dr. Jeffries brought with her an understanding of higher education and both secular and religious leadership experience and has led the university through unprecedented growth since she took the helm.

Dr. Jeffries shepherded the 100-year-old institution through the awarding of university status in February 2004. Since her inauguration, Dr. Jeffries spearheaded the highly successful campaign for Georgian Court, which raised $17.2 million and transformed the campus with $54 million in renovation and new construction, including six new buildings and a strong vision based on the Mercy core values. She has championed a leadership program for the Women’s College of Georgian Court, and diversified and expanded academic offerings by establishing the Georgian Court Meridian Health School of Nursing and adding new majors, such as dance; exercise science, wellness, and sports; and tourism, hospitality, and recreation management.

Dr. Jeffries, a native of Ocean City, New Jersey, holds a Ph.D. in sociology from Fordham University, an M.A. in religious studies from Princeton Theological Seminary, an M.A. in public communications from Fordham, and a B.A. in art education from Georgian Court College.

Dr. Jeffries can be reached at jeffries@georgian.edu.

Dr. Mary Meehan President, Alverno College

Chapter 2: Dr. Mary Meehan has been president of Alverno College since 2004. During her tenure, the college’s enrollment has grown by more than 35 percent and has been recognized as the most up and coming college in the Midwest by US News and World Report. Prior to coming to Milwaukee, Dr. Meehan was the executive vice president for administration at Seton Hall University. She has experience as executive vice president and chief operating officer at St. Mary’s Hospital in New Jersey and administrator and CEO of St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York.

Dr. Meehan serves on many local and national boards, including the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, American Council on Education Commission on Women in Higher Education, Women’s College Coalition, St. Bonaventure University, Georgian Court University, Sacred Heart School of Theology, and Milwaukee Achievers. Dr. Meehan frequently writes and speaks on topics ranging from healthcare ethics to women’s spirituality and leadership.

A Seton Hall University alumna, Dr. Meehan earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology, master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling, and doctorate in higher education administration. In addition, she holds a master’s degree in health policy and management from New York Medical College and is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Dr. Meehan can be reached at mary.meehan@alverno.edu.

Dr. Richard (Tom) Ingram President Emeritus of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges

Foreword: Richard (Tom) Ingram served as president of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) from 1992 through 2005, having previously served as executive vice president. He is currently a member of the board of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Higher Education (CASE), based in Washington, D.C. and London, and the Board of Trustees of Allegheny College in Pennsylvania.

Tom has advised boards and chief executives of nearly 200 organizations in higher education, independent schools, and national non-profit organizations. He has worked with sectarian and non-sectarian organization boards and chief executives in both the independent and public sectors of higher education, including institutions in Bolivia, Canada, Mexico, Japan, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and Turkey.

Tom has written extensively on trusteeship. His monographs and books include primers on effective trusteeship, a book on presidential and board assessment, pamphlets on board organization, governing board bylaws and committee structure, and trustee conflict of interest policies. His Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards published by BoardSource (Washington, D.C.) has sold more than 50,000 copies.

A native of Western Pennsylvania, Tom earned his bachelor’s degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He holds a master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh and a doctorate in higher education from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Tom can be reached at tomingram1@verizon.net.

Dr. John C. Cavanaugh Chancellor, Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education

Chapter 1: Dr. John C. Cavanaugh became chancellor of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, effective July 1, 2008. He serves as the chief executive officer of PASSHE, which operates 14 comprehensive universities with a combined enrollment of more than 112,500 students. Prior to this role, Dr. Cavanaugh was president of the University of West Florida from 2002-2008. He provided strategic direction for the university, redesigned the university’s budget and financial control systems and restructured the University Planning Council to ensure more open processes and effective planning.

Dr. Cavanaugh served as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. He also held various positions at the University of Delaware, including vice provost for academic programs and planning and associate provost for graduate studies. He began his academic career as an adjunct instructor of psychology at Indiana University at South Bend while completing work on his doctoral degree at Notre Dame. His first permanent appointment was as an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at Bowling Green State University in 1980.

Dr. Cavanaugh attended St. Joseph’s College in Philadelphia before earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Delaware. He also holds both a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Notre Dame.

He is married to Dr. Christine Kamenjar Cavanaugh. He is an avid traveler and backpacker who enjoys cooking and photography, and is an avowed chocoholic.

Dr. Cavanaugh can be reached at jcavanaugh@passhe.edu.