Saint Martin’s University names new president
Roy F. Heynderickx, Ph.D., to become University’s tenth
president
November 21, 2008
Lacey,
Washington—Ken F. Parsons, chairman of the board of trustees of Saint
Martin’s University announced today that Roy F. Heynderickx, Ph.D., will
be the University’s new president.
“Heynderickx’s ability and skills, honed from his extensive senior
level management experience in Catholic higher education, will make him
an effective leader for Saint Martin’s,” said Ken F. Parsons, Sr., board
chair. “The board of trustees is confident that Heynderickx will set a
positive tone and build collegiality within the Saint Martin’s
community.”
Parsons also commented that Dr. Heynderickx is “a well-spoken
straight talker, who understands the importance of strategic planning,
goal setting and follow through.”
Heynderickx currently serves as the vice president for finance and
administration at the University of San Diego and will assume his duties
as Saint Martin’s tenth president on January 1, 2009.
“Dr. Heynderickx will be well received by the Saint Martin’s
University community, and his Pacific Northwest roots are a real plus,”
said Parsons.
“Saint Martin’s is a wonderful institution with a strong Benedictine
tradition. The beauty of the campus and the wonderful spirit that exists
in the faculty, students and staff impressed me. I look forward to
joining the community and helping it become a stronger institution,
building on its core values and developing new resources and programs,”
said Heynderickx.
“Kathleen and I look forward to returning to the Northwest and
starting our new life in Lacey and Olympia,” he added.
Heynderickx has worked in Catholic higher education for over 28
years, 15 of which have been at the senior management level. In his
current position, Heynderickx is responsible for a division of over 400
staff members and oversees the University of San Diego’s finance and
administration division including endowment investments, facilities
management and the budget. At the University of Portland, Heynderickx
participated in a major institutional strategic planning process that
led to a significant redirection of the University’s focus resulting in
a strengthened institution.
Heynderickx also serves as an evaluator for the Northwest Commission
on Colleges and Universities, the body which accredits institutions of
higher learning. As an evaluator, he has focused on smaller colleges and
universities giving him a unique understanding of Saint Martin’s.
A native of the Northwest, Heynderickx earned his bachelor’s degree
in accounting from the University of Oregon in 1975, an M.B.A. from the
University of Portland in 1983, and his Ph.D. in education
administration from the University of Oregon in 1992. Heynderickx and
his wife, Kathleen, have been married for 26 years and have three
children: Marc, 24; Troy, 22; and Kathryn, 17.
Heynderickx succeeds Bryan M. Johnston, J.D. who died in June just
prior to assuming his role as president replacing Douglas Astolfi, Ph.D.
Saint Martin’s University is an independent four-year, Catholic,
coeducational university located on a 320-acre wooded campus in Lacey,
Washington. Established in 1895 by the Catholic Order of Saint Benedict,
the University is one of 18 Benedictine colleges and universities in the
United States and Canada, and the only one west of the Rocky Mountains.
Saint Martin’s University prepares students for successful lives through
its 21 majors and six graduate programs spanning the liberal arts,
business, education and engineering. Saint Martin’s welcomes 1,250
student from many ethnic and religious backgrounds to its main campus,
and 650 more to its five extension campuses located at Fort Lewis Army
Post, McChord Air Force Base, Olympic College, Centralia College and
Tacoma Community College.
For additional information:
Stephen C. McGlone
Saint Martin’s University
360-438-4586
smcglone@stmartin.edu