University of Dallas announces new Board Chairman and Trustees

by PegNews wire

The University of Dallas (UD) has announced that Dan Cruse has been elected chairman of the University’s board of trustees following the retirement from the board of Harry Longwell, who served in this leadership capacity since 2003 and as a trustee since 2001. In addition, Timothy P. Rooney, Dr. Joanne H. Stroud and Jerry McElhatton have joined the board, bringing their valuable expertise to support UD’s tradition of educational excellence and its strategic growth goals.

Dr. Frank Lazarus, president of the University, said, “The University has been extremely blessed to have such highly regarded leaders as Dan Cruse and Harry Longwell serve as board chairman, and to attract outstanding executives such as Timothy Rooney, Dr. Joanne Stroud and Jerry McElhatton to our board.”

He adds, “Dan Cruse now holds the unique distinction of being the first UD alumnus to be elected to the board and to serve as board chairman. Over the last 25 years, Dan has made innumerable contributions to the University and we look forward to capitalizing on his extensive knowledge of our institution and his organizational development capabilities as we pursue new growth opportunities.”

Lazarus continues, “During his six-year tenure on the board, Harry’s excellent leadership resulted in a strategic plan that helped bring financial stability to the University, a successful 50th Anniversary celebration year and Jubilee fundraising campaign, and a bid for the George W. Bush Presidential Library that took us to a finalists position and brought national visibility to the University. We are indebted to Harry for his outstanding service and commitment to UD.”

Dan Cruse is a “Distinguished Alumnus” of UD and has served as vice chairman of the Board since 2003. He is a member of the Board’s Executive Committee and immediate past chair of the Advancement Committee. In 1982, he became the first alumnus to serve on the Board of Trustees. Cruse also has served in a leadership role to develop the Catholic community at UD and actively participated in fundraising campaigns to build the Church of the Incarnation on campus and to secure the University’s Due Santi campus in Rome. He has chaired several annual fund campaigns. Spencer Stuart, a leading global executive search firm where Cruse has worked for more than 30 years and where he currently serves as vice chairman, recently endowed a scholarship at the University to honor Mr. Cruse and his wife Margie. Cruse is also a Knight of Malta.

Harry Longwell brought tremendous leadership experience and ability to UD from his long and impressive career at ExxonMobil. He joined ExxonMobil in 1963 and held a number of domestic and international executive positions, including being elected senior vice president and director in 1995 and executive vice president in 2001. After more than 41 years of service, he retired from the corporation in 2005. He has applied his philosophy of the continual pursuit of excellence along with his exceptional management acumen to every opportunity while serving on UD’s board.

Timothy P. Rooney is president of Manhattan Holdings, Inc., and is responsible for the strategic plans of the privately held industrial and commercial construction corporation. Before moving into this position in 2003, he served as president and CEO of Manhattan Construction Company for nine of his 21 years in that business. Rooney has been extremely active in professional and civic organizations, including serving on the Construction Industry Roundtable, as past chairman of the Lone Star Dallas chapter of the Young Presidents Organization and on the Catholic Foundation Advisory Board, the Salvation Army’s Dallas County Advisory Board and fundraising committees at Duke University, where he earned his B.S.E. degree in civil engineering and M.B.A. from Fuqua School of Business.

Dr. Joanne H. Stroud is a founding fellow of the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture and recipient of the University of Dallas’ Athena Award in 2005. She has taught both literature and psychology at the University where she received the first degree of the Institute of Philosophic Studies and earned master’s degrees in English literature and psychology. Her bachelor’s degree was earned at Sarah Lawrence College. In addition to her current responsibilities directing publications at the Dallas Institute, Stroud created the Forum Luncheon series. She is the author of numerous presentations and several books., including The Bonding of Will and Desire and Choose Your Element, a children’s collection based on the elemental works of French philosopher Gaston Bachelard. Her latest book, Time Doesn’t Tick Anymore, will be published this year, and her current research involves W.B. Yeats and C.G. Jung.

Jerry McElhatton possesses extensive executive management and consulting experience with major global corporations, successfully setting strategic technical and business direction and implementing innovative systems and process improvements. He currently is President of Virtual Resources, Inc. a strategic management and technology consulting firm. Before retiring from MasterCard International in 2005, he served for ten and a half years as president of global technology and operations and as senior executive president for MasterCard Worldwide. Previously, McElhatton was president and CEO of Payment Systems Technology & Consulting. He also served for 10 years as president and CEO of First Republic Bank Services Corporation, and held executive positions with Ameritrust and Bank One. McElhatton serves on several corporate boards of directors, the board of advisors for Olin School of Business at Washington University, St. Louis, and has served as a trustee of Jesuit Preparatory College. He earned his bachelor’s degree in industry management from Franklin University and attended the Western Michigan graduate degree program.

Source: University of Dallas