Pamela Balch
Senior Consultant
Dr. Balch has had leadership experience in both the private and public sectors of higher education. She retired on December 31, 2016 as President of West Virginia Wesleyan College after serving in that role for 10.5 years. She also was President of Mayville State University, ND; Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty at Bethany College, WV; Vice Provost for Academic Planning at California State University, Chico; Director of Teacher Education and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at San Diego State University, Imperial Valley Campus; and Education Faculty and Director of Graduate Programs in Teacher Education at West Virginia Wesleyan College.
Dr. Balch wrote and directed a 1.6 million dollar Title III grant designed toward assisting non-traditional students in California. She also helped to obtain a $10 million Title III grant, one of only two in the country, at WVWC, which has been transforming the school in tremendous directions. She is the author of many refereed journal articles and has presented numerous papers at national conferences and meetings.
Dr. Balch was Phi Delta Kappa Educator of the Year, Teacher Educator of the Year for California, Imperial County Woman of the Year, selected as an ACE Fellow, a recipient of the leadership award for dedicated service to North Dakota, Buckhannon Chamber of Commerce Business Woman of the Year, Distinguished Alumna of West Virginia University’s College of Education and Human Services Hall of Fame, and elected into the Uniontown High School Pennsylvania Hall of Fame.
She has served as Chair of the Mountain East Athletic Conference, Chair of the WV Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Vice Chair of the WV Independent Colleges and Universities Association, Chair of the Appalachian College Association, and Chair of the National Association of Schools and Colleges of The United Methodist Church. She has served as a board member of the Presidents’ Independent Colleges Enterprise (ICE), WV Campus Compact, WV Science and Research Council, Region VII Planning and Development Council, College Summit Advisory Board, Upshur County Development Authority, National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), and the Dakota Athletic Conference.
While at West Virginia Wesleyan College, Dr. Balch provided financial stability and leadership in constructing debt-free facilities including a performing arts center, science research center, wellness center, welcome center, two fountains, a residence hall, multipurpose turf stadium and eight lane track, baseball and basketball bleacher projects, renovations to over 20 classrooms, over $30 million in renovations.
Pamela Balch received her bachelor’s degree from West Virginia Wesleyan College and her masters and doctoral degrees from West Virginia University. She has done postgraduate work at two Harvard University programs.
