Fr. Dennis Holtschneider, C.M., has been named Chair of the Niagara University Board of Trustees.

Father Holtschneider’s role as board chair is not his first experience with Niagara University. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics education from Niagara in 1985 and he returned to Monteagle Ridge to serve as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer from 2000-2004.

“As we work together to develop opportunity amidst the challenges we face in higher education, Father Holtschneider’s experience in higher education leadership will be an incredible resource for the university,” said the Rev. James J. Maher, C.M., President of Niagara University.

In 2004, Father Holtschneider left Niagara to become President at DePaul University, serving in that role until 2017.  A nationally recognized leader in American higher education, Fr. Holtschneider lectures on higher education strategy at Harvard University and has served on the executive committee of the American Council on Education (ACE). He has also chaired the board of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU), both in Washington DC.  He currently serves as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer for Ascension Health, the nation’s largest nonprofit and Catholic health system.

Father Holtschneider earned his master of theology and his master of divinity from Mary Immaculate Seminary in Northampton, Pa., and his Ed.D. in administration, planning and social policy from Harvard University. He first joined NU’s Board of Trustees in 2005 and served two terms. He rejoined the Board of Trustees in 2017.

See a brief video retrospective of his tenure at DePaul https://resources.depaul.edu/newsline/multimedia/Pages/Farewell-Father-Holtschneider.aspx

Also his Wikipedia bio.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_H._Holtschneider