AGB Search Recruits 8th President for Mount Saint Mary College

June 27, 2024 – Washington, D.C.-based recruitment firm AGB Search, which specializes in higher education leadership assignments, recently assisted in the recruitment of Robert Gervasi as the eighth president of Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, NY. Current president Jason Adsit announced that he has decided not to seek a renewal when his current contract expires at the end of the 2023-24 academic year. Melissa K. TrottaMatthew J. Kilcoyne, and Dawn Overstreet led the assignment. Dr. Gervasi was chosen to lead the college after an extensive national search, multiple rounds of interviews, on-site visits with input from representatives across campus, and an extensive due diligence review.

“His commitment to the Dominican pillars – study, spirituality, service, and community – combined with his experience and strategic vision, make Dr. Gervasi an excellent fit for the Mount,” said Michael Horodyski, chair of the Mount’s board of trustees.

“I am delighted to welcome Dr. Gervasi, who comes to us with incredible experience and a commitment to Catholic higher education,” said Fr. Gregoire Fluet, interim president of the Mount. “I know that all of us will be dedicated to working with him to assure a smooth transition and a dynamic future for Mount Saint Mary College.”

“We are grateful for the strong foundation laid by the presidential search committee, AGB Search, and the Mount community, which led to the successful outcome of this presidential search,” said Mr. Horodyski. “Together, we look forward to carrying on the Mount’s educational mission that came from the visionary Dominican Sisters who founded the college more than six decades ago.”

Dr. Gervasi has more than three decades of experience in higher education administration, including 14 years as a college president. He previously served as president of Ohio Dominican University and interim president of Mount Union University in Ohio. Dr. Gervasi also has extensive teaching experience, having taught courses in Greek and Roman civilization, religion, historiography, business, philosophy, ethics, and more. Prior to his career in higher education, he worked in marketing and communications serving major firms including Bristol-Myers and Procter & Gamble.

“I have deep respect for the Dominican liberal arts tradition and the Dominican Sisters of Hope, and I am humbled and thrilled to be joining the Mount Saint Mary community to advance the College’s mission,” said Dr. Gervasi. “Jen and I are also eager to engage with the larger community of Newburgh and the Hudson Valley.”

Related: AGB Search Assists Rhode Island College in Finding New President

Mount Saint Mary College is an independent, coeducational institution in the Catholic and Dominican traditions committed to providing students with a liberal arts education to prepare them for lives of leadership and service. Founded in 1959 by the Dominican Sisters of Newburgh, their four Pillars – study, community, service, and spirituality – continue to be a blueprint for the school’s mission. Today, approximately 1,650 full- and part-time undergraduate and graduate students attend the school’s traditional and non-traditional academic offerings across the liberal arts and sciences as well as professional and pre-professional programs.

Serving Colleges and Universities

AGB Search conducts searches for college and university presidents, chancellors, provosts, vice presidents, deans, university system heads, and CEOs of coordinating boards and related foundations. The firm was founded by the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) in 2010.


AGB Search Recruits 22nd President for Seton Hall University

AGB Search has assisted in the recruitment of Monsignor Joseph R. Reilly as the 22nd president of Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ. “There is no one better suited to leading the university at this moment — a time when Seton Hall stands at the cusp of extraordinary progress,” said Hank D’Alessandro, chair of the board of regents and the presidential search committee. “Monsignor Reilly was the ideal choice. He possesses a deep faith in god and a demonstrable commitment to nurturing our students to greatness as we advance among the nation’s foremost Catholic universities.”


Dr. Trotta joined AGB Search as associate managing principal in 2017. She has spent more than 25 years in higher education administration at universities including Harvard, Georgetown and Johns Hopkins in leadership roles that spanned admissions and enrollment, program management, executive education, and strategic planning. She has partnered with institutions on searches for presidents, chief financial officers, chief information officers, deans, provosts, executive vice presidents/chief operating officers, and vice presidents and vice provosts for enrollment management, finance and administration, institutional research and university registrar services.

Mr. Kilcoyne joined AGB Search as a principal in January 2023. He has over 20 years of higher-education executive search experience, having completed over 250 searches. His search assignments for presidents, vice presidents and deans have focused on search committee and board relations; institutional analysis; marketing, candidate identification, recruitment, and evaluation; candidate due diligence; and selection and transition.

Dr. Overstreet joined AGB Search as a search consultant in 2022. She has over 20 years of experience at four (public and private) universities in positions within the offices of the president, provost, dean, and VP for student development. Included in these positions, she served as the assistant vice president of student development and associate vice president of mission and ministry at Loyola University Chicago.

Related: Recruitment of Academia Presidents Rising

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor  – Hunt Scanlon Media

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