Antioch University Leadership

 


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Antioch University Leadership

Antioch University’s leadership is comprised of a Chancellor, the Chancellor’s Cabinet, and a Board of Governors who work together to further the University’s mission and support faculty and students in all our programs. Together they are focused on creating a culture that fosters collaboration and shared responsibility across the University.

Chancellor

Chancellor Groves

William R. Groves, JD

Chancellor

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William R. Groves, JD is the 22nd “President” or “Chancellor” of Antioch University. He has served as Chancellor since April, 2016. Chancellor Groves was hired in 2010 to establish the first Office of General Counsel for the University and served as Vice Chancellor and General Counsel for the University from 2010 to 2016. Prior to that, Groves was engaged as outside University Counsel for Antioch from 1979 to 2010 providing services to all its operating units, including Antioch College. He led the legal affairs of the University through the closure of the Antioch College campus in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and the eventual sale of assets to a new alumni-supported corporation which took over the college operations in 2009.

He is an honors graduate from Ohio University, Phi Beta Kappa, in 1976, and The Ohio State University College of Law in 1979. He also attended the Institute of Education Management (IEM) program of Harvard University, Graduate School of Education in 2013.

Executive Officers

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Allan Gozum, EdD

Antioch University Chief Financial Officer, Coalition for the Common Good Treasurer

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Dr. Allan Gozum joined Antioch University in January 2016 and is the Vice Chancellor/CFO and Treasurer of the corporation. He oversees financial operations, budget and planning, information technology, facilities planning, as well as financial management and analysis for the affiliation.

Prior to Antioch, Gozum was employed at Benedictine University based in Lisle, Illinois for 15 years and served as vice president of finance and chief financial officer. Earlier in his career, he held supervisory positions at companies that included KPMG, Trans Union, and Deloitte.

Gozum is a registered CPA in Illinois and earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Northern Illinois University, an MBA with concentrations in finance and economics from the University of Chicago, and an EdD in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania.

Chet Haskell, DPA

Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs and University Provost

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Dr. Chester (Chet) Haskell has served as Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and University Provost since August 2018. He reports directly to the Chancellor and serves on the Chancellor’s Cabinet. Haskell chairs the Deans Council, the University’s senior academic leaders as well as the Faculty Co-Chairs of the University Academic Council. The Deans Council facilitates management, accountability and communication throughout Academic Affairs and the faculty.

Chet Haskell has had extensive experience in university leadership in the United States, having served in senior positions over 13 years at Harvard University, including as executive director of the Center for International Affairs, special assistant to the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, associate dean of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and as founding executive director of the Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies. He later served as Dean of the College at Simmons College (Boston) and was president for more than a decade at the Monterey Institute of International Studies (California) and at Cogswell Polytechnical College (Silicon Valley). He also is a member of the Board of Governors of Al Ghurair University in Dubai. Finally, Dr. Haskell has lengthy experience in academic accreditation matters, including with the WASC Senior Colleges and Universities Commission and with accreditation bodies in Spain and Mexico.

Chet earned DPA and MPA degrees at the University of Southern California, as well as an MA from the University of Virginia and the AB from Harvard University.

Mary Granger

Mary Granger, JD

University Counsel

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Mary Granger serves as University Counsel for Antioch University and reports directly to the Chancellor. In this role, she oversees the Office of General Counsel, managing the legal affairs of the University and providing legal advice to Antioch’s leadership, its academic Schools, and campuses. The goal of the Office of General Counsel is to promote a culture of respect, diversity, inclusion, and legal compliance throughout the University, in furtherance of Antioch’s mission and values.

Mary began her career at Antioch’s Office of General Counsel in 2015, serving previously as Attorney, Assistant University Counsel, and Associate University Counsel. Mary is a graduate of the University of Maine School of Law.

Josh Jacobs

Josh Jacobs, EdD

Vice Chancellor of Institutional Advancement

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With a track record of innovation, strategic thinking, and effective team leadership, Josh is passionate about driving positive change in organizations and making meaningful contributions to the communities he serves. He is a fixer, fueled by curiosity, who wants to help groups achieve ambitious goals that benefit humanity.

Beyond his professional endeavors, Josh is deeply committed to civic engagement and volunteer service, volunteering through organizations such as Shale Crescent USA, Southeast Ohio Port Authority, Ohio River Sternwheel Festival, Rotary, and his local church. He is drawn to leaders and organizations that pursue high-impact change to better the lives of people.

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Craig Maslowsky, EdD

Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management

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Dr. Craig Maslowsky is an entrepreneur and higher education marketing and enrollment expert. He is currently the Vice Chancellor for Antioch University. Prior to joining Antioch, Craig was Vice President for EXPLORE Student Pathfinder solutions at DIGARC. He came to DIGARC after the company acquired new|ed, an education focused marketing software company Craig founded in 2015. Before starting new|ed, Craig was a successful higher education marketing executive at Excelsior College, Lesley University and University of Phoenix.

Craig has an extensive background in communicating non-traditional educational offerings to adult and traditional student populations on a national level for both for-profit and not-for-profit institutions of higher education. His expertise and interest lie in product strategy, customer experience design, student service optimization, process optimization, digital marketing and the integration of new technology to improve the enrollment exploration experience for students.

He earned a BS in Business Administration from SUNY Geneseo, an MBA from Clarkson University, and a Doctor of Education in Higher Education Administration from Northeastern University.

Maria-Judith

Maria-Judith Rodriguez Herrera, MA/MBA

Vice Chancellor for Human Resources

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Maria-Judith serves as the Vice Chancellor for Human Resources at Antioch University. In this role, she oversees all aspects of the HR function and sets the strategic direction and efforts in alignment with the institution’s mission and growth directions.

Prior to Antioch, she served as Chief HR Officer and Title IX deputy Coordinator at Amherst College for a decade and earlier headed HR at the Puerto Rico-based Arecibo Observatory, a research center managed by Cornell University. She has a diverse professional background, which includes experiences within a variety of industries including education, consulting, pharmaceutical and manufacturing. She holds her MA in Industrial Organizational Psychology from the InterAmerican University of Puerto Rico and her MBA in Human Resources Management from the University of Phoenix.

Maria-Judith reports directly to the Chancellor and serves on the Chancellor’s Executive Team. She believes HR plays a critical strategic role in key areas of institutional success by fostering individual and organizational development, leading strategic efforts, and nurturing a work culture that embraces diversity and inclusion. She also believes in the importance of being an active citizen through community work, both professionally and personally.

Staphanie Helms Pickett, EdD

Stephanie Helms Pickett, EdD

Vice Chancellor, Equity, Belonging and Culture

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Stephanie Helms Pickett (she/her) joined Antioch University in January 2024 as the inaugural Head of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging. She reports directly to the Chancellor and serves on the Chancellor’s Cabinet. Stephanie has extensive experience in higher education administration, working at private, public, single-sex, predominantly White, and historically Black institutions of higher education, in residence life, commuter life, multicultural affairs, orientation, leadership, international student affairs, disability services, and academic support services. She’s served as the Associate Vice Provost for Inclusive Excellence and Strategi Practice at North Carolina State University and as the Director of Assessment and Professional Development, as well as the Director of the Women’s Center at Duke University. Dr. Helms Pickett is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in Educational Leadership and Higher Education Policy in the College of Education at NC State University and an Adjunct Professor in the Duke University Divinity School. Her research interests are in the areas of higher education policy, women’s engagement, cultural competency, faith, and leadership. She is a qualified administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory and uses it in her practice to assist others in developing an intercultural mindset. She presently serves as a member of the BRIDGES Advisory Board, a leadership program advancing women in higher education.

Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Radio & Television Broadcasting from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale; and a Master’s and Doctorate degree in Higher Education Administration from North Carolina State University

Lemuel Watson

Lemuel W. Watson, EdD

Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Vice Provost for Community Engagement at Antioch University and the Coalition of Common Good.

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He has been deeply engaged with the community as a personal and professional advocate through numerous arts, community, educational, and professional boards. He commits to leaving the world better than how he has found it. He genuinely loves those he meets and is curious to get to know them authentically. He moves about the world as an educator, advocate, leader, new thought minister, poet, and collaborator with various individuals and groups. He believes there is no separating life into compartments but that each day and all experiences help one to become fully awake. Watson is also a Distinguished Professor and Dean Emeritus and Founding Executive Director of the Center for Innovation in Higher Education at the University of South Carolina and the former founding Executive Director of the Center for P-20 Engagement and Dean of the College of Education at Northern Illinois University as well as former Associate Vice President and Interim Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusion, Dean of the School of Education at Indiana University Bloomington. He is the former host of Indiana University’s podcast On Illuminating: truth and Light, the South Carolina Educational Television series, Carolina Classrooms, and Fulbright Scholar to Belarus. He earned a BS in Business from the Moore School of Business at USC, an MA from Ball State University, his doctorate in higher education and policy from Indiana University at Bloomington, and a doctorate in spiritual studies at Emerson Theological Institute.

He has written books, monographs, and articles related to research on leadership, contemplative practices, underrepresented populations, LGBTQ+, public policy, and human development. He has obtained over $14 million in research funding from various organizations as a researcher. A seasoned leader whose career spans various industries, including educational, nonprofit organizations, private, and entrepreneurship/small businesses. He has worked as a global consultant on leadership, public policy, and talent management issues. As a certified mindfulness teacher by Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute and as a certified mindfulness organizational strategist by the Institute for Organizational Science and Mindfulness, he currently focuses on mindful leadership and talent management to enhance work and learning environments. Residing at the intersection of leadership and mindfulness as a researcher and practitioner, Lemuel creates spaces for silence, awareness, and self-inquiry to help individuals align their strengths and intentions to guide and lead. Through his integrative approach, he shares transformative, dedicated, and integrated tools for self-renewal, personal discovery, and capacity-building that ease clients on their journey toward peace, clarity, and freedom. He commits to leaving the world better than how he has found it.

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Laurien Alexandre, PhD

Provost of the Graduate School of Leadership and Change and Special Advisor to the Chancellor

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Dr. Laurien Alexandre serves as Special Advisor to the Chancellor and is the Provost of Antioch University’s Graduate School of Leadership and Change. During her 30 years at Antioch University, Laurien has served as Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs, and prior to that, as the Academic Dean of the two California campuses. She is the founding Director of the PhD in Leadership & Change and the Dean of the Graduate School of Leadership and Change. Prior to coming to Antioch University, Laurien worked at Immaculate Heart College Center, an ecumenical institute devoted to research and training on peace, justice, and global concerns, where she directed a teaching training (K-16) program on international and multicultural classrooms. Dr. Alexandre also taught for over 10 years at California State University, Northridge, in the Department of Mass Communications/Journalism, where her focus was on graduate courses in media analysis. Her published work has focused on media studies, international politics and gender studies, and most recently higher education experimentation and graduate studies.

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Ben Pryor, PhD

Dean of the School of Environmental Studies, and CEO Antioch University Seattle

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The first Dean of the new School of Environmental Studies, Ben Pryor joined Antioch University in 2015 as the Provost and CEO of Antioch University Seattle. He reports to the VCAA. Originally from Southern California, Pryor received a B.A. from the Johnston Center at the University of Redlands and a Master’s degree from the Claremont Graduate University. He earned a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Penn State University in 1997 and taught at the University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio, until 2013. His interest in law, politics and ethics led to the creation of an interdisciplinary program in Law and Social Thought in 2004. Pryor served as a Department Chair, Associate Vice Provost, and Dean before moving in 2013 to Phoenix, Arizona, to become the Provost at Western International University.

Shawn Fitzgerald, PhD

Dean of the School of Counseling, Psychology and Therapy, and CEO Antioch University New England

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Dr. Shawn Fitzgerald, the first Dean of the School of Counseling, Psychology and Therapy, our largest school and also serves as CEO of Antioch University New England, a position he has held since 2018. He reports to the VCAA. Prior to joining Antioch, Shawn served in multiple positions at Widener University including Assistant Provost for Graduate Studies and Extended Learning and Dean for the School of Education, Innovation, and Continuing Studies. Additional leadership appointments while at Widener included serving as the Chair of the Pennsylvania Education Deans’ Forum, President of the Eastern Educational Research Association, and Chair of the Board of Trustees for Widener’s Charter School—Pennsylvania’s first university-based charter school.

Shawn also spent 17 years as a faculty member and administrator at Kent State University. During his tenure, he was the recipient of the Giovanna Jackson Faculty Award for International Culture; served as an Invited Lecturer for Sichuan University in Chengdu, China; hosted and mentored numerous visiting scholars from around the world; and was recognized by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education for innovative program development.

Shawn holds a PhD in Applied Research, Evaluation, Statistics, and Measurement and an MA in Educational Psychology from the University of Toledo. He earned his BA in Psychology from Lebanon Valley College.

Terry Ratcliff, EdD

Dean of the School of Distance and Extended Education

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Dr. Terry Ratcliff joined Antioch University in 2019 as Executive Dean of Antioch University Online. Since that time his role has expanded and he currently serves as Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs for Academic Operations and Chief Online Learning Officer. In addition to oversight of distance learning across the University, Ratcliff oversees the Academic Technology team, Office of Institutional Effectiveness, Office of the Registrar, and Continuing and Extended Education programs. He collaborates with the Strategic Initiatives team and faculty to provide credit and non-credit programming to institutional partners. 

During his career in higher education, he has served as assistant dean of students, director of enrollment, dean of adult and continuing education, director of online learning, and chief academic officer. Ratcliff has contributed to higher education as a consultant, providing insight to improve student retention, online teaching and learning, and faculty development.

He is active in the Association for Continuing Higher Education, seving in multiple leadership roles including President in 2024-25. Dr. Ratcliff is also active in higher education accreditation, serving as a volunteer site visitor for the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).  In his free time, he volunteers as a Certified Volcano Naturalist at the Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument.

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MeHee Hyun, PhD

Dean of Undergraduate Studies

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As the new Dean of Undergraduate Studies, Dr. Hyun builds on a lengthy Antioch career as chair of undergraduate programs in Los Angeles, She now oversees all the undergraduate programs while working closely with Terry Ratcliff on fully asynchronous undergraduate offerings. She reports to the VCAA.

MeHee has long been a faculty leader, serving as co-chair of the University Academic Council for many years. A graduate of UCLA three times over, MeHee was recognized as a Chancellor’s Marshall for distinguished service while completing her BA in English, and also received her MA and her PhD in Education, in their Division of Higher Education with an emphasis on Afro-American Studies.

MeHee has over 20 years of professional work experience in the field of Higher Education, having served at Antioch University in various capacities including Director of Admissions & Records, and Acting Dean of Advancement. She also had a number of roles in the Office of Executive Education in the Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA, on the UCLA Alumni and Scholarship Advisory Committee, and Undergraduate Admissions and Relations with Schools at UCLA.

Amy Rutstein-Riley

Amy Rutstein-Riley, PhD, MPH

Dean, Graduate School of Leadership & Change

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Amy Rutstein-Riley, PhD, MPH is a highly collaborative leader, seasoned educator, and interdisciplinary scholar. Her current research activities focus on Women’s Leadership in Higher Education, Trauma-informed Leadership, and girls’ and emerging adult women’s development.

Prior to joining the Graduate School of Leadership and Change, for the past eighteen years, she has served in a number of roles at Lesley University, including Director of the PhD Specialization in Adult Learning and Development, Dean of the Faculty, Chair of the PhD in Education Studies, Dean of the Graduate School of Education, and, most recently, Associate Provost of Academic Affairs.

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Ryan Kasmier, EdD

Associate Provost, Antioch University Santa Barbara

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Ryan Kasmier’s extensive higher education experience includes professional work at six different institutions, including the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, and Antioch University Santa Barbara, where he has served as the Director of Student Services since July 2017. In his over 20-year career in student affairs, he has worked in leadership positions in academic support, housing, retention and persistence, new student orientation, and family services. Ryan has also taught public speaking, life and academic skills classes, and various other liberal arts courses. He is an active member of NASPA (Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education). He has served in several positions for the AGAPSS (Administrators in Graduate and Professional Student Services) Knowledge Community, including Knowledge Community Co-Chair. Ryan holds a BS in Organizational Communication and Political Science from Central Michigan University and an MA in Organization and Leadership, with an emphasis in Higher Education, from the University of San Francisco. In May 2021, he completed his EdD in Higher Education Leadership from California Lutheran University.

Executive leadership faculty

Barbara Lipinski, JD, PhD

Associate Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs for Academic Personnel

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Dr. Barbara Lipinski has recently been appointed as Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Personnel. In this role, Barbara oversees all aspects of faculty appointments and academic personnel policy. She will be instrumental in helping deans and chairs in faculty searches, assessments and contracts, and will work closely with Vice Chancellor for Human Resources, Maria-Judith Rodriguez, to assure consistency and equity.

Dr. Lipinski served as Provost and CEO of Antioch University Santa Barbara for more than 9 years. She earned her PhD from the University of Southern California, Jurist Doctorate from the Southern California Institute of Law, MA from University of California, and BSW from the Jane Addams School of Social Work at the University of Illinois. She is dedicated to advancing social justice and committed to providing access to education for all.

Her extensive higher education experience includes work at California Lutheran University and Pacifica Graduate Institute. Barbara’s interests bridge the areas of law and psychology, specifically forensic psychology, police psychology, therapeutic jurisprudence, restorative justice, and conflict resolution.

Barbara is a clinical member of the American Psychological Association (APA), life fellow of the American College of Forensic Examiners (ACFE), lifetime clinical member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT), diplomate and board-certified forensic examiner with the American Board of Forensic Examiners, and associate member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). She served as an expert forensic witness for the California Attorney General’s Office from 1991-2012, was a founding board member of the Restorative Justice Neighborhood Initiative, and volunteered as an arbitrator for twenty years. She is also a Licensed Psychologist.

Karen Crist, EdD

Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Success

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Karen Crist is the Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Success. In this role, Karen serves as the university’s Chief Retention Officer and Chief Student Services Officer and is responsible for assuring the quality and sufficiency of university academic and student support services. Specifically, this position is responsible for ensuring the highest quality, university-wide student success services, including but not limited to disability support services, writing support, career planning, and Veteran and military-connected student services.

Having over two decades of administrative experience in higher education, Karen helped launch the earliest asynchronous online learning model at Antioch University. She has held various roles in program administration, enrollment management, disability support services, career planning, prior learning assessment, student conduct, Title IX, and reaffirmation of accreditation. She co-chairs the Student Success Symposium Planning Committee, the Retention Huddle, and the Criterion Three Subcommittee of the HLC Comprehensive Review. Karen is a member of the HLC Steering Committee, Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Advisory Committee, and the University Strategic Planning Steering Committee.

Karen’s priority is leading initiatives for student success at the university level in collaboration with student services areas, faculty, deans, and academic affairs, focusing on team-building, cross-functional collaborations, culture, and climate, and raising the visibility of student success staff university-wide.

Before coming to Antioch University, Karen was a human resources manager for a prominent Silicon Valley corporate law firm and an organizational development manager focusing on work redesign and significant change efforts for a Fortune 300 corporation.

Karen received her BA in Human Development and Social Relations from Earlham College, MA in Management, and EdD in Educational and Professional Practice from Antioch University, focusing on Social Justice Leadership.

Mark Hower, PhD

Provost and CEO, Antioch University Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, and Acting Chair of the MAP Program

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Dr. Mark Hower is the Provost and CEO of Antioch University Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. He has been Provost at the Los Angeles campus since June 2017. He reports to the VCAA.

Mark joined the faculty of Antioch University Seattle in January 2000 as an affiliate faculty member. Throughout his time in Seattle, he served in a variety of roles, including chair of the Graduate Management Program, special assistant to the president, interim president, and as a core faculty in the Center for Creative Change.

Mark’s professional experience includes several staff positions in the U.S. Peace Corps, including Peace Corps Country Director in Tonga, and Country Desk Officer for South Pacific Programs and later for startup programs in Ukraine, Russia and the Baltic States.

Mark has a BA from Whitman College, and an MS and PhD in Leadership and Change from Antioch.

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Michelle Koppitz

Associate Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives & Extension Sites

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Michelle Koppitz is the Associate Vice Chancellor of Strategic Initiatives and Extension Sites. In this role, she oversees multi-campus and multi-modality strategic initiatives that expand Antioch University program delivery to include off-campus partnerships and extension sites. Koppitz reports to the Vice Chancellor for Finance, but also works in strategic alignment with the Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs, Chet Haskell, Terry Ratcliff, the Deans and several program chairs to continue to develop partnership relations strategically aligned with the Institution’s academic vision and capable of expanding Antioch’s reach. She began her career in 1993 with the Institute for Professional Development. She then served Benedictine University’s nontraditional programs beginning in 1999, most recently as the Vice President for the School of Graduate, Adult and Professional Education since 2013 and oversaw a division of approximately 2800 students. Her responsibilities included strategic oversight of Enrollment Management, Online Initiatives, Strategic Partnership Initiatives and Marketing, Academic Development and Redesign, Adjunct Faculty Training and Management and Nontraditional Operations units.

Michelle has a graduate degree in Organizational Leadership from Olivet University and an undergraduate degree in Management from Cardinal Stritch University.

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Michael Greitzer

University Dir Real Estate/Strategic Initiatives

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Michael Greitzer serves as the University Director for Real Estate and Special Initiatives, a position that he has held since 2019.

Michael is the retired Dayton Market President and Partner of Miller-Valentine Group, a national commercial real estate development concern with offices in the Midwest and Atlantic coast. Over more than a 20-year career, he has led teams working with some of the nation’s largest corporations, providing the thought leadership for transactions ranging from; confidential relocation/site selection processes, development of large-scale corporate campuses, complex sale lease-back transactions, brownfield redevelopment, and multi-jurisdictional public-private partnerships.

In addition to providing the operational management of the University’s owned and leased portfolio of real estate, he is a resource to the Chancellor for special projects and initiatives across the University.