January 25, 2018
Lock Haven University provost selected to serve as university鈥檚 interim president
Contact: Kevin Hensil, khensil@passhe.edu
Harrisburg 鈥� The Board of Governors of Pennsylvania鈥檚 State System of Higher Education today selected Donna Wilson to serve as interim president of Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, effective March 30. Dr. Wilson, who has served as the university鈥檚 provost since 2012, will assume the role of interim president upon the retirement of Michael Fiorentino Jr., who has been Lock Haven鈥檚 president since July 2011.
Dr. Wilson will serve as the university鈥檚 interim president until the successful conclusion
of a national search for Dr. Fiorentino鈥檚 successor.
鈥淪trong, stable leadership is important during a period of transition,鈥� said Board
of Governors Chairwoman Cynthia D. Shapira. 鈥淒r. Wilson has been an important part
of the university鈥檚 leadership team since her arrival on campus more than five years
ago, and has played a vital role in its past success. We are confident she will continue
to provide outstanding leadership during the search for a new, permanent president
for Lock Haven University.鈥�
鈥淲hile we all will miss Dr. Fiorentino when he retires in a few months, we are pleased that Lock Haven will have continuity of leadership with Donna Wilson, who already has provided enormous contributions to the university,鈥� said State System Interim Chancellor Karen M. Whitney. 鈥淪he knows the university and the community, and has the necessary experience to take on this new role and to keep the university moving forward.鈥�
鈥淲hile we all will miss Dr. Fiorentino when he retires in a few months, we are pleased that Lock Haven will have continuity of leadership with Donna Wilson, who already has provided enormous contributions to the university,鈥� said State System Interim Chancellor Karen M. Whitney. 鈥淪he knows the university and the community, and has the necessary experience to take on this new role and to keep the university moving forward.鈥�
In addition to serving as provost for the last nearly six years, Dr. Wilson has served
as the university鈥檚 executive vice president since 2016. She came to Lock Haven from
Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, where she had been associate
provost for academic programs. She also held the positions of dean of undergraduate
studies and assistant and associate professor at the college. She previously was a
lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin and Austin Presbyterian Seminary.
She holds a bachelor鈥檚 degree from Central Bible College in Springfield, Mo.; a Master鈥檚
in Divinity degree from Austin Presbyterian Seminary in Austin, Texas; and a Ph.D.
in classics from the University of Texas at Austin.
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鈥攊n
consultation with the chair of the Council of Trustees鈥攎akes 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.