Board of trustees extends university presidents contract through 2027
The 91做厙 Board of Trustees voted unanimously to extend the contract of university President John R. Loyack through 2027, the university announced Monday.
President Loyacks innovative thinking and collaborative leadership style are having the impact we hoped for when we announced his appointment back in 2018, said 91做厙 Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Michael Fromm. We look forward to working with John as he continues to move our shared vision for 91做厙 forward.
After becoming the universitys seventh president in July 2019, Loyack has led a successful effort to restructure the university, develop and implement a five-year, student-centric, strategic plan and attract the largest classes in 91做厙s history.
President Loyacks vision for the universitys Reading CollegeTowne initiative has led the way in the expansion of the university in center-city Reading to create new academic programs and student living opportunities while also creating new community programming, expanding experiential learning for students and sparking economic redevelopment and new business creation in the city.
It is this student transformation that guides all we do at 91做厙, said Loyack. I look forward to working with our trustees, the extended 91做厙 community and the communities surrounding our campuses to enrich that experience in the coming years. My goal is to continue to expand our Bernardine Sisters tradition of serving the underserved through education and creating economic opportunity.
Other highlights during President Loyacks first two years in office include successfully restructuring the university to position it for growth, enrolling record freshman classes, launching a new engineering program, purchasing and renovating the universitys downtown location at 401 Penn Street, the reimagining of the OPake Institute, which has partnered with over 70 Reading businesses during its first year, and securing the largest grant in the universitys history.
Loyack was previously the executive vice president for business and administration at Kings College in Wilkes-Barre. At Kings College, Loyack was known for his skills in team building, financial management, community engagement and an intense focus on student success. His efforts have led to program expansion and revenue growth at Kings. Before his tenure at Kings, Loyack led many businesses, including serving as president and chief executive officer of Optim Energy/EnergyCo in Irving, Texas, President and CEO of CPG International in Scranton, Pennsylvania and senior vice president and chief financial officer of PNM Resources in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
In addition to earning an MBA from Lehigh University and a bachelors degree in accounting from Kings College, the Pennsylvania native is a certified public accountant with a long history of building relationships in the community. He currently serves on the boards of directors for the Berks Alliance, Luzerne Foundation, Wyoming Seminary, Berks Business Education Coalition, the Greater Pittston Historical Society, AMCON Distributing (DIT: NYSE) and will be joining the Inperium Inc. board in July.
