Rochester Business Journal

St. John Fisher College is shuffling around some senior staff to create better efficiency in its academic mission, college officials said Tuesday.

The changes take place in the college’s vice president ranks, with Gerard Rooney being promoted to executive vice president for enrollment, advancement and planning. The former senior vice president for enrollment management, Rooney takes on new responsibilities for institutional advancement and alumni relations, officials said.

This change comes as St. John Fisher is in the final months of Vision 2020, the largest comprehensive campaign in the history of the college.

“Dr. Rooney’s contributions to Fisher over the last 16 years have been nothing short of outstanding,” said Donald Bain, St. John Fisher president. “He has been the driving force behind our enrollment success and, most recently, has helped lead the college through a very successful strategic planning process. I know he will bring the same level of enthusiasm and expertise to the advancement function.”

Eileen Lynd-Balta, professor of biology and formerly the chairwoman of the biology department, has been named interim provost and dean of the college. She fills the position vacated by Ronald Ambrosetti, who left to become president of Our Lady of Holy Cross College in New Orleans.

For the last 18 months Lynd-Balta served as co-leader of the Strategic Planning Committee and led the “Foundations of Excellence, Student Success, and Retention” initiative. The goal of the program is to improve first-to-second year retention. 

The leadership moves are meant to help continue the enrollment success, fundraising successes, academic accomplishments and fiscal stability the college has been able to achieve the face of continuing economic uncertainty, St. John Fisher officials said.

(c) 2012 Rochester Business Journal. To obtain permission to reprint this article, call 585-546-8303 or email service@rbj.net.