Vermont Technical College names Philip Conroy new president

Philip Conroy, Jr., Ed.D. has been appointed president of Vermont Technical College by the Vermont State College's Board of Trustees following a six-month nationwide presidential search. Dr. Conroy comes to Vermont Tech from Mount Ida College in Newton, Massachusetts, where he serves as vice president of enrollment management and marketing, responsible for admissions, financial aid, marketing, publications, the web site, public relations, and retention related activities.
Conroy, who has served in a variety of roles at Mount Ida since 1997, is an internationally recognized expert on higher education management, particularly in the areas of strategic enrollment management and institutional advancement.
‘I am excited for Vermont Technical College and the Vermont State Colleges,’ said Gary Moore, Chair of the Vermont State Colleges (VSC) Board of Trustees. ‘I believe Phil Conroy is the right person to take the college to new levels. He is an inspiring educator and leader who will be an asset to the college and to the state.’
VSC Chancellor Tim Donovan echoed Moore’s comments, adding, ‘When you look for a next president of a college, you seek the right person for the time and circumstance of the institution. The college community, the Board of Trustees, and I all agree that Dr. Conroy has the skills and character to lead Vermont Tech to an expanded role in Vermont’s economic and educational future. I anticipate that we will see Vermont Tech’s value to Vermont reach even greater heights under Dr. Conroy’s leadership.’
Prior to his service at Mount Ida, Dr. Conroy served as the director of development for the College of Food and Natural Resources at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the Director of Development and founding Executive Director of the Bridgewater State University Foundation, where he also served as a faculty member, financial aid counselor, and alumni relations director.
He has more than thirty years of teaching and management experience in higher education, including resource development, endowment management, volunteer and constituent management, strategic enrollment management, financial aid, integrated marketing, international and multi-cultural education, transition to college and the first year of college. In addition, he has earned a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) designation from the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Conroy is a frequent presenter at conferences and workshops in Europe and North America on enrollment management, academic affairs, and institutional advancement issues, and he’s served in a number of volunteer positions, both in higher education and in his local community.
‘I am extremely excited about joining the Vermont Tech community,’ Conroy said following his appointment Thursday night. ‘During my visit to campus in November I was very impressed by the ambition of the Vermont Tech community to plan and adapt to the changing educational needs of the state of Vermont, and its desire to expand the college’s influence both within the state and beyond where appropriate. We all understand the realities and challenges posed by the declining numbers of high school students graduating from northern New England high schools, as well as the financial realities of operating a public college in a state with limited financial resources. As I look ahead, I see Vermont Tech becoming an example of how strong an institution can be with a profound commitment to its public mission despite limited public funding.’
‘I am also intrigued by the potential for Vermont Tech evolving into an ‘applied university’ serving the state of Vermont and greater New England region. Through partnerships statewide with business leaders and other institutions, the college could potentially evolve from its roots as an associate degree institution to a recognized and well-respected bachelor’s degree institution. This, in fact, is what I have been involved with at Mount Ida for the past thirteen years. There are some very exciting and intriguing possibilities ahead for Vermont Tech, and I am looking forward to joining the faculty and staff and bringing those possibilities to reality.’
Conroy earned his Doctorate of Education in educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; his Master of Education in educational administration from Rhode Island College in Providence, Rhode Island; and his Bachelor of Science in education from Bridgewater State University in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. He has also completed graduate studies at the University of Tampere, Finland; University of Massachusetts Amherst, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, and Boston College.
He will assume Vermont Tech’s presidency on April 1, replacing interim president Patricia Menchini, who was named to the position when former president Ty Handy resigned in June, 2010.
Founded in 1866, Vermont Technical College is a public, coeducational, undergraduate institution offering more than 25 bachelor’s and associate degree programs. Vermont Tech currently enrolls approximately 1,650 students. For more information, visit us on the Web at www.vtc.edu.
RANDOLPH CENTER, VT ‘ December 10, 2010 ‘