ALLENDALE, Mich. — Grand Valley State University introduced the fifth president to the school Tuesday morning.
The Board of Trustees held a special meeting Tuesday, Jan. 22 to nominate and elect the new president, Philomena V. Mantella.
Mantella is currently the senior vice president and chief executive officer of the Lifelong Learning Network at Northeastern University, a private research university in Boston. She has a Ph.D. in college and university administration from Michigan State University and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in social work from Syracuse University.
The search for a new president began in February of 2018, after president Thomas J. Haas announced his plans for retirement. The Board of Trustees and an executive search firm served as the search committee.
Mantella is the fifth president and the first woman appointed president in Grand Valley’s nearly 60-year history. She will remain at Northeastern University through the academic year and begin work at Grand Valley when Haas’ retirement takes effect July 1, 2019. Mantella and her husband, attorney Robert H. Avery, will make the movie to Michigan with Mantella's 91-year-old mother later this year.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter.