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WILKES-BARRE — Patrick F. Leahy, the popular president of Wilkes University whose tenure has seen growth and expansion of the school’s programs and physical footprint, will leave the post next year.

Leahy has accepted the position of president at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey, members of the Wilkes community learned Friday morning in a letter from board Chairman Dan Cardell.

He will remain at Wilkes through the academic year, with his last day being July 31, 2019.

The news drew valedictory accolades from many community leaders, while all eyes will now turn to the process of choosing a successor.

“During Pat’s tenure, Wilkes University has experienced unparalleled growth and success,” Cardell wrote. “In 2014, he oversaw the creation of the Gateway to the Future Strategic Plan, which has guided us in our pursuit to become one of the finest small universities in the nation.”

“I look forward to updating you in the coming weeks about the board’s plans for the recruitment of Wilkes University’s seventh president,” Cardell added.

In a separate statement, Leahy called it “an honor and a privilege” to have served Wilkes University for the past seven years.

“This is not a decision my family and I made lightly, mainly due to the wonderful relationships we have established in and around Wilkes-Barre and the Wilkes community,” Leahy said. “I am extremely proud of all that we have accomplished at Wilkes over the past several years and I look forward to continuing this exciting progress in the coming months.”

Unanimously chosen

At Monmouth Leahy will succeed Grey J. Dimenna, whose tenure also is scheduled to end on July 31.

Leahy emerged as the Monmouth board’s unanimous selection “from a diverse pool of more than 100 highly accomplished leaders in the nationwide search,” according to a statement that school released Friday.

“Dr. Leahy is a strategic, entrepreneurial thinker,” said Henry D. Mercer III, chairman of the presidential search committee and immediate past chair of the Monmouth University Board of Trustees. “He has a clear understanding of how a private university works and knows how to get visionary initiatives realized.”

Leahy said he was “thrilled” to take on the new role.

“As we move forward, we’ll build upon the strong foundation here at Monmouth and move toward even higher levels of excellence and access. It is clear that the Monmouth community is a family,” he said.

“I, along with my wife, Amy, and our children, are excited to be joining this family at the Jersey Shore. I want to thank the presidential search committee, the Board of Trustees, President Dimenna, and the faculty, staff, and students for this opportunity to serve this great institution.”

Leahy’s accomplishments

As Cardell noted, Leahy launched Wilkes’ strategic plan in 2014. Key initiatives and accomplishments as a result of the plan include:

• The introduction of 20 new academic programs, including the undergraduate honors program;

• Strategic enrollment growth in online master’s programs and doctoral degrees, including the introduction of the university’s first Ph.D. program;

• Investments in faculty scholarship and research, resulting in the university’s first five patents;

• And innovative external partnerships to both expand the university’s reach and support the local community.

“Leahy has been instrumental in over $100 million in campus enhancements, including the construction of the university’s signature Campus Gateway Project,” a university statement added.

“In addition, new academic spaces have been constructed or renovated including the Mark Engineering Center, the Karambelas Media and Communication Center and the Sordoni Art Gallery, the Jay S. Sidhu School of Business and Leadership and the Passan School of Nursing.”

Community reaction

State Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre, praised Leahy’s “exceptional leadership, vision and his ability to inspire and motivate the people around him.”

“Pat has done an outstanding job in advancing the excellence of Wilkes University into one of the most distinguished small universities in the entire country,” Pashinski said.

State Sen. John Yudichak, D-Nanticoke, called Leahy “a transformational leader.”

“While it is bittersweet to see a talented community leader move on to new opportunities, I’m grateful for the contribution Pat made to Wilkes-Barre and I wish him and his family the best,” Yudichak said.

Diamond City Partnership Executive Director Larry Newman, who frequently cites the impact investment in higher education facilities has had on the city , said Leahy “will leave behind a substantial legacy at Wilkes University, but his imprint upon Downtown Wilkes-Barre will have been just as deep.”

Leahy has “always understood that Wilkes can only be as strong and healthy as the neighborhood around it,” Newman added.

“Under Pat’s leadership, Wilkes has dramatically expanded its anchoring role in Downtown Wilkes-Barre,” Newman said.

“It’s particularly evident along the second block of South Main Street, where multiple Wilkes capital projects, such as the new Sordoni Art Gallery, have bolstered downtown foot traffic and are now spurring follow-on private development, and in the new paths connecting South Main Street to the center of campus,” he added.

Newman also praised Leahy’s commitment to high academic standards and strengthening the university’s relationships with the local business community.

“And, of course, we’re going to miss having Pat, Amy, and their family as our neighbors, living around the corner from us in Downtown,” he added.

Wilkes University President Patrick Leahy shows the renovations made to the Stark Learning Center courtyard in this file photo. Leahy has accepted the position of president at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey, and will leave Wilkes next July.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/web1_TTL07xx18bizjournal-colleges-mg_1CMYK-5.jpg.optimal.jpgWilkes University President Patrick Leahy shows the renovations made to the Stark Learning Center courtyard in this file photo. Leahy has accepted the position of president at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey, and will leave Wilkes next July. Times Leader file photo

By Roger DuPuis

[email protected]

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