Valpomag

VU Board of Directors Elects Heckler Next President

The Valparaiso University Board of Directors in December unanimously elected Mark A. Heckler, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Colorado Denver, as Valpo’s next president. Heckler will succeed President Alan Harre on July 1, becoming VU’s 18th president in its 150-year history.

Announcing Heckler’s selection at a Dec. 18 press conference on campus, David Hessler, chair of the university’s board of directors, said that Heckler’s breadth of experience and his proven leadership skills at UC Denver, a large and complex institution, first attracted the attention of the search committee.

“As impressive as Mark Heckler is on paper, members of the search committee and the campus community became even more enthused about the contributions he could make to Valpo after they met him,” Hessler said. “The search committee reported that people who have worked with Mark Heckler described him as a leader who fosters teamwork and collaboration to achieve strategically planned goals. These are the skills we sought in our next president.”

A native of Pennsylvania, Heckler, 52, has been at the University of Colorado Denver since 1995, when he joined the staff as a tenured professor of theater and director of the School of Arts. Under his leadership, the School of Arts was expanded and renamed the College of Arts and Media, and he was named the new college’s founding dean in 1998. He held that position until 2003 when he served briefly as UC Denver’s interim chancellor before being appointed to his current position.

“Mark Heckler possesses the experience, interpersonal skills, engaging personality, work ethic and commitment to Valpo’s Lutheran higher education mission to enable him to be a very successful president,” President Alan Harre said. “I anticipate that he will be a great blessing to Valpo.”

Heckler, who attends St. Philip Lutheran Church in Littleton, Colo., said that he is committed to being part of a faith community, not only for the sake of the community, but also as a calling in expressing his own faith.

“I can now see that my whole life—personally, educationally and professionally—has led me toward this opportunity with Valpo,” he said. “The board has brought people of exceptional dedication and passion to serve as president. I am humbled to have been asked to walk in their shoes. This university is very sure about what it is and its mission. I believe in this mission, heart, soul and mind.”

The announcement was the culmination of a diligent search process that began early last spring. A nine-member committee chaired by VU board member Fred Kraegel ’70 worked with Witt/Kieffer, a preeminent executive search firm. The committee included five board members; two Valpo faculty members; a representative of the alumni association; and a committed supporter of the university, who is not a member of the board.

Three finalists were brought to campus in December for a series of interviews, including open question and answer forums with students, faculty and staff.

“While all three had impressive records, Mark Heckler emerged as the best choice to assume the presidency,” Hessler said. “He was the unanimous choice of the search committee and the board of directors.”

Heckler earned a bachelor’s degree in communications with honors from Elizabethtown (Pa.) College in 1977 and a master’s degree in fine arts in drama with an emphasis in directing from Catholic University in Washington, D.C., in 1979. He is nearing completion of a doctorate in educational leadership and innovation from the University of Colorado.

UC Denver is comprised of three campuses serving more than 28,000 students in more than 100 programs. Heckler currently oversees seven colleges and schools at the institution and shares responsibility for schools and programs at the university’s Anschutz Medical Campus.

His accomplishments at UC Denver are extensive. They include leading a team to develop the university’s first academic master plan and launching a process for creating a comprehensive strategic plan.

“Mr. Heckler is an excellent fit for Valpo,” said Janet Brown, dean of VU’s College of Nursing. “We are impressed with his insight into the major issues confronting higher education, and his experience in strategic planning will be invaluable as we investigate approaches to address these important issues.”

Heckler also has considerable experience in developing international study programs, serving two years as the United States administrator of an undergraduate liberal arts degree-granting program in Beijing operated jointly by China Agricultural University and UC Denver.

In the area of fundraising—which has increasingly become a vital qualification of university presidents—Heckler has a proven track record. He played an integral role in raising funds for the $40 million Kenneth Kendal King Academic and Performing Arts Center. He secured a $5.25 million gift for the Starz FilmCenter, of which he was co-founder, and a $1 million grant for the Advance Colorado Center that he also co-founded. He helped plan and obtain funding for a $104 million science building under construction at UC Denver.

“It is vitally important that future generations continue to have the opportunity for an outstanding education in a faith-based environment that fosters discovery and creativity,” Heckler said.
“I believe Valpo has a greater leadership role to play, nationally and internationally.

“Valpo is the right place for me, and I am excited about becoming a part of this outstanding university.”

Visit the Web exclusive section of valpo.edu/valpomag for additional photos from the
press conference.

“Mark Heckler possesses the experience, interpersonal skills, engaging personality, work ethic and commitment to Valpo’s Lutheran higher education mission to enable him to be a very successful president. I anticipate that he will be a great blessing to Valpo.”
—President Alan Harre

“This university is very sure about what it is and its mission. I believe in this mission, heart, soul and mind.”
—Mark A. Heckler

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VU Board of Directors Elects Heckler Next President

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