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| New Edgewood College president Scott Flanagan is introduced to the school on Tuesday, March 25, in the school’s Sr. Nona McGreal Room, named for a past school president. (Catholic Herald photo/Kevin Wondrash) |
MADISON — While Scott Flanagan’s job title will soon be changing, his face is familiar to Edgewood College.
On Tuesday, March 25, Flanagan, the college’s current executive vice president, was named the seventh president of the college. Flanagan has also served as Edgewood’s director of admissions, director of athletics, and other roles.
At a press conference in the school’s McGreal Room — named for school president Sr. Nona McGreal, who served in the 1950s and 1960s — Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees Gary Schaefer formally introduced Flanagan.
Schaefer passed along well wishes from outgoing president Dan Carey, who announced in September he was retiring the end of this school year. He had served as president for the last 10 years. Carey was out of town and unable to attend the announcement.
‘Grateful’ and ‘excited’
Schaefer called Flanagan the next “visionary” as he announced the new president in the presence of portraits of past presidents hanging on the walls of the McGreal Room.
Flanagan said he was “grateful” and “excited” as he accepted the role of the new president.
He thanked the members of the search committee for a “professional and thorough process.” He also thanked the trustees as well as the Sinsinawa Dominicans for “the confidence and the trust” they showed in him.
He gave his commitment to work “every day to make sure to express those values that you see around campus and live our unique mission.”
He also thanked his family members who were in attendance — his wife Krista and their two children, Erin and Sean — for their patience.
Flanagan said he was “thrilled and honored” to walk in the footsteps of past presidents.
He thanked the entire campus for their support saying, “It means more to me than you will ever know.”
‘Best days lie ahead’
Looking to the immediate future, Flanagan said, “Our promise to help students connect learning, beliefs, and action is needed by our society, our community, and our world more than it has ever been. That promise builds on our Dominican values.”
“We know the times ahead are challenging,” he added. “We know that the landscape of higher education is changing rapidly, but this college has grown and thrived over the last 25 years. It’s our task to make sure that we’re poised to make sure this college is as successful as the last 25 years.”
He closed by saying, “Edgewood College’s best days lie ahead. . . . I am truly grateful for your support and I’m excited for this opportunity.”
A reception followed Flanagan’s talk where the Edgewood College family as well as members of the community had a change to congratulate him.
Background of the new president
Flanagan, a Weyauwega native, holds a doctorate in Higher Education Management from the University of Pennsylvania. He earned an M.B.A. from the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne, Ind., and is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate from UW-Madison with an undergraduate degree in political science.
He has been a frequent presenter at national conferences on trends in higher education, strategic planning, enrollment management, leadership, and change management. He has also served as a consultant in the areas of enrollment management and strategic planning.
For more on Scott Flanagan and Edgewood College’s search for a new president, visit presidentialsearch.edgewood.edu