ALLENDALE, MI (WHTC-AM/FM) – Michigan State University may still be searching for a new permanent president, but a Spartan grad is coming back to this state to take over the reins of Grand Valley State University.
With a unanimous vote on Tuesday, the GVSU Board of Trustees appointed Dr. Philomena Mantella as the school’s fifth ever president. She returns to Michigan from Boston, where she served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of the Lifelong Learning Network at Northeastern University. On July 1st, Mantella will formally succeed Dr. Thomas Haas, who had announced his retirement last February.
In submitting Mantella’s name for final consideration after a lengthy process, Presidential Search Advisory Committee Chairman John Kennedy said that, “She is passionately committed to our liberal education model of small classes led by our very distinguished faculty. She has vast experience across the wide arc of higher ed, especially in student life, enrollment management and program development, and knows how to navigate and succeed in a very competitive marketplace.”
In accepting the appointment, Mantella said that she was “inspired by the energy and the passion you all have for this exceptional place. Grand Valley State is brimming with commitment to its student experience; it is animated by talented professionals; it is anchored by its strong assets; and it is driven by its values and unparalleled momentum.”
The appointment of Mantella completes the turnover in operational leadership of Ottawa County’s two institutions of higher learning; last month, Hope College announced that Matthew Scogin will return to his alma mater as its new president on July 1st, replacing Dr. Dennis Voskuil, who was named on an interim basis to hold down the post following the July, 2017 resignation of Dr. John Knapp.
-Gary Stevens
