May 31, 2017
Board of Governors appoints interim president for Cheyney University of Pennsylvania
Contact: Kevin Hensil, khensil@passhe.edu
Harrisburg 鈥� The Board of Governors of Pennsylvania鈥檚 State System of Higher Education today appointed Aaron A. Walton to serve as interim president of Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, effective today.
Mr. Walton is a former senior vice president of Highmark Inc. and longtime member
of both the Board of Governors and California University of Pennsylvania鈥檚 Council
of Trustees. He will assume the duties of interim president from Frank G. Pogue, who
has served in the position since November 2014.
鈥淐heyney University is in the midst of a major transition toward a new operational
model, even as it faces unprecedented challenges to its long-term sustainability.
It needs strong leadership now more than ever,鈥� said Board of Governor鈥檚 Chair Cynthia
K. Shapira. 鈥淎aron has a strong track record of leadership. As a member of both the
Board of Governors for more than a decade and of the Council of Trustees at Cal U.
for more than 20 years, he understands the enormous challenges facing higher education
today, including those uniquely affecting Cheyney. I can think of no one better to
serve in this vital role during this period of transition.鈥�
A special task force appointed by the Board of Governors already has approved a 鈥渃onceptual
framework鈥� for a new business model for Cheyney鈥攖he nation鈥檚 oldest historically black
university鈥攊ncluding the creation of an 鈥淚nstitute for the Contemporary African-American
Experience鈥� within the university. The new interim president will be responsible for
leading efforts to develop the final version of that new model, as well as for addressing
the university鈥檚 challenges moving forward.
鈥淎aron Walton understands the challenges facing public higher education today,鈥� said
State System Chancellor Frank T. Brogan. 鈥淗e has the knowledge and the leadership
skills necessary to lead Cheyney University at this important time in its history.
I look forward to working with him as we all seek to ensure the long-term success
of the university and its students.鈥�
Mr. Walton is retired from Highmark, where, as senior vice president for corporate
affairs, he was one of nine principle officers responsible for providing overall management
and direction of all of the organization鈥檚 corporate activities. During his 40-year
tenure with Highmark, he held progressively higher key management roles in both corporate
and subsidiary operations. Additionally, he had oversight of Highmark鈥檚 community
involvement, foundation and strategic health initiatives and its joint venture affiliate
activities, including Gateway Health Plan.
He has served on more than 35 community boards, including for the August Wilson Center,
The Pittsburgh Foundation and United Way of Allegheny County. He has been a member
of the State System鈥檚 Board of Governors since 2005, when he was first appointed by
Gov. Edward G. Rendell. He was reappointed to a second term on the Board by Gov. Rendell
in 2009 and again by Gov. Tom Corbett in 2013. Mr. Walton currently serves as Board
vice chair and chair of the Human Resources Committee and previously served as chair
of the Academic and Student Affairs Committee.
Mr. Walton is a co-chair of the Cheyney Task Force and was chair of Cal U鈥檚 Council
of Trustees from 1999 to 2003. He resigned from both the Board of Governors and Cal
U鈥檚 Council of Trustees prior to the Board approving him as interim president at Cheyney.
He holds a bachelor鈥檚 degree in speech pathology and audiology from Cal U and a master鈥檚
degree in public policy and management from Carnegie Mellon University.
The Board of Governors is responsible for hiring university presidents within the
State System. When the need for temporary leadership at a university occurs, the chancellor,
after consultation with the chair of the Council of Trustees, makes a recommendation
to the Board of Governors, which then meets to ratify the selection. An interim president
serves as the university鈥檚 chief executive officer, with the same responsibilities
and authority as a permanent president.
Mr. Walton will serve as interim president at Cheyney until the successful conclusion
of a national search for a permanent president. The search is expected to begin this
summer.
Pennsylvania鈥檚 State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher
education in the Commonwealth, enrolling more than 100,000 degree-seeking students
and thousands more in certificate and other career-development programs. Collectively,
the 14 universities that comprise the State System offer more than 2,300 degree and
certificate programs in more than 530 academic areas. Nearly 520,000 State System
university alumni live in Pennsylvania.
The State System universities are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg,
Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery
Rock and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania. The universities also operate
branch campuses in Oil City (Clarion), Freeport and Punxsutawney (IUP), and Clearfield
(Lock Haven), and offer classes and programs at several regional centers, including
the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg and in Center City in Philadelphia.