William Paterson University Announces Appointment of President

Members of the William Paterson University Community:

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I am pleased to announce that Kathleen M. Waldron, Ph.D. has been named President of William Paterson University, effective August 2, 2010. Dr. Waldron will succeed Dr. Arnold Speert who, in May 2009, announced his intention to retire following nearly 25 years of distinguished and committed service.

Dr. Waldron was selected by the board following a comprehensive national search conducted by a 14-member Presidential Search Committee representative of the breadth, expertise and diversity of the William Paterson University community and chaired by former board chair Robert Taylor. We are deeply indebted to the committee for their selfless and collegial diligence and commitment to the charge developed by the board. From an applicant pool of 58 candidates, the committee invited three candidates to visit the campus during the period February 1-9, 2010, each of whom participated in two consecutive days of meetings with many groups and individuals within the extended University community. This was a highly inclusive process, fully consistent with William Paterson University’s strong culture of shared governance.

“I am very honored and excited to serve as the next President of William Paterson University,” said Dr. Waldron. “The University is well positioned to extend its services to the people of New Jersey and beyond with excellent academic programs and a thriving campus. I look forward to working with the trustees, the administration, the faculties, staff and students to strengthen university resources and enhance the educational experience of all students.”

Dr. Waldron has a long and distinguished record of achievement in the academy and in the private sector. From August 2004 to August 2009, she served as President of Baruch College of the City University of New York (CUNY), one of the most selective public colleges in the northeast. During her tenure as president, Dr. Waldron led the College to achieve national rankings in its business and public affairs programs and a place in The Princeton Review’s list of the top 15 percent of colleges in the country. With 16,000 undergraduate and graduate students, Baruch has been recognized as the most ethnically diverse campus in the nation. She led the capital campaign for Baruch which raised over $160 million during her presidency. Since August 2009 she has held the position of University Professor at CUNY.

Before joining Baruch as president, Dr. Waldron served as Dean of the School of Business, Public Administration and Information Sciences of Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus from 1998 to 2004. While at LIU she guided their Masters in Public Administration through its first national accreditation, hired over 50 percent of the faculty within a three-year period, established endowed scholarships and obtained the first corporate foundation awards. She co-chaired the College’s five-year strategic planning effort which resulted in enrollment growth and improved quality of student and faculty services.

Prior to her transition to higher education administration, Dr. Waldron distinguished herself for 14 years in several executive positions at Citigroup. From 1997 to 1998, she served as Vice President for Citibank Global Private Bank. In that role she was a member of the policy committee for Citibank’s Global Wealth Management Division, which managed over $100 billion in assets of clients from over 40 countries and offered a full range of investment, credit, and corporate finance products. She was in charge of Global Strategic Planning for the Private Bank as the group achieved revenues of $1.4 billion. She also served on a transition team when Citicorp merged with Travelers Insurance to form Citigroup in 1998. From 1995 to 1997, she served as Vice President and Director of Citibank University, created to serve the professional development of 4,000 people with five curricula and the global delivery of over 75 online courses. Dr. Waldron’s background in international markets is particularly noteworthy. From 1991 to 1995, she was President of Citibank International in Miami and from 1984 to 1990 she was Vice President of Citibank’s International Agencies Division, responsible for providing investment and credit services to large not-for-profit entities in the United States, Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Dr. Waldron received her Ph.D. in Latin American History from Indiana University in 1977, taught at Bowdoin College in Maine from 1977 to 1980, and served as a Fulbright Fellow at the Universidad Católica Andrés Bello in Caracas, Venezuela in 1981. She is currently a fellow at the Bildner Center for Western Hemisphere Studies. Dr. Waldron has published several articles on Venezuelan history and was an editor of the Handbook of Latin American Studies for many years. She has spoken at various Conference Board meetings about diversity in higher education and leadership and is a frequent speaker on the subject of women in leadership.

Dr. Waldron has also served as a member of the U.S. Presidential Committee on the Fulbright Program, a member of the Board of Directors of Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Florida, a member of the Florida International Bankers Association, a Director of the Fulbright Association, the board of Alpha II, a closed-end equity mutual fund and as a board member of Accion International, a micro-credit lending organization. Dr. Waldron is a member of the Latin American Studies Association, the Financial Women’s Association, the Academy of Management, the Economics Club, the Association for a Better New York, and currently serves on the board of The Tinker Foundation. She also serves on the Advisory Board of the Women’s City Club of New York.

William Paterson University boasts a rich 155-year history of service to our region, State and country. Our foundation as a University going forward is strong due to President Speert’s quarter century of dedicated stewardship. We are well positioned to build on that legacy. Today, the needs of our students and the many other constituents we serve for intellectual, civic, economic and personal empowerment have never been more important or more urgent. At this critical juncture in our future, the board is confident that, in Dr. Waldron, we have found a strong leader to inspire and guide us in capitalizing on the many strengths and values of our history, enhancing the public visibility and reputation of the University and using our talents and our shared commitment to advance our collective hopes and dreams for William Paterson.

The board looks forward to a strong working partnership with President Waldron in leading William Paterson University to develop and promote its fullest potential. We are confident that the University faculty and staff, students, our dedicated alumni and our extended community will join the board in this partnership. Working together, the best days for William Paterson University are ahead.

Sincerely,

Vincent J. Mazzola '73
Chair, Board of Trustees