President's Cabinet
The ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ President's Cabinet is comprised of senior administrators representing the various facets of the University's day-to-day operations. The cabinet meets weekly throughout the academic year and serves in an advisory role to the president.
Vice President for Diversity Affairs
Todd Allen
Vice President for Diversity Affairs
diversityaffairs@messiah.edu 717-766-2511 ext. 7117 Office of Diversity Affairs
Dr. Allen fulfills a key role on the President’s Cabinet by giving focused attention to the institution’s diversity plan. He leads the Office of Diversity Affairs, which includes Multicultural and International Student Programs. Dr. Allen is the founder of the Common Ground Project, a nonprofit dedicated to teaching the history of the Civil Rights Movement. He also teaches in ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ’s communication department.
Vice President for Enrollment Management
John Chopka
Vice President for Enrollment Management
admissions@messiah.edu 800-233-4220 Admissions Office
Dr. Chopka oversees undergraduate and graduate admissions, recruitment and financial aid efforts. Areas of oversight include: Undergraduate Admissions, Graduate Enrollment, , Enrollment Management Operations, Enrollment Partnerships and Admissions Hospitality. He and his team work closely with colleagues from across campus to ensure excellence in service to prospective students, families and partner organizations.
Vice President for Human Resources and Compliance
Amanda Coffey
Vice President for Human Resources and Compliance
humanres@messiah.edu 717-796-5300 Human Resources & Compliance
As vice president for human resources and compliance, Ms. Coffey oversees all aspects of professional employment for faculty and staff at ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ. Her office is charged with responsibility for the employment strategies and practices of the University. As such, human resources manages activities such as recruiting, professional development, employee relations, compensation and benefits so as to support the productivity and engagement of the University’s employees.
Provost
Christine Gardner
Provost
provost@messiah.edu 717-796-5375 Office of the Provost
Dr. Gardner earned her doctorate in communication studies from Northwestern University and holds a master’s degree in communications from the University of Washington. Before coming to ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ, she served as dean of the School of Graduate, Professional, and Extended Studies and as chair of the Department of Communication Arts, Theatre, and Art at Gordon College. Dr. Gardner is an award-winning scholar and teacher, with research focusing on the intersection of rhetoric and cultural sociology; exploring the role of religious rhetoric in the public sphere; narratives of identity and belonging; and the cultivation of empathy in civil dialogue.
As provost, Dr. Gardner provides administrative oversight to the University’s curricular and cocurricular programming. In this role, she gives leadership to all educational program development and the hiring, evaluation and development of the University’s faculty and cocurricular educators.
Vice Provost for Student Success & Engagement
Marcelle Giovannetti
Vice Provost for Student Success & Engagement
mgiovannetti@messiah.edu 717-796-5234 Division of Student Success & Engagement
Dr. Giovannetti leads the Division of Student Success and Engagement in their pursuit to develop and nurture the whole student through a holistic cocurriculum that continually assesses the outcome of each student's learning and character development. Her areas of oversight include: The Academic Success Office, Agape Center, Career and Professional Development Center, Campus Ministries, The Engle Health and Counseling Center, Student Engagement, Leadership Programs and Residence Life & Housing. She also serves as advisor to the Student Government Association (SGA).
Vice President for Finance and Planning
Gary Nowicki
Vice President for Finance and Planning
gnowicki@messiah.edu 717-766-2511 ext. 5237 Office of Finance & Planning
Gary Nowicki holds a master’s degree (MBA) in Industrial Administration/Finance from Carnegie Mellon University and worked for many years as a Managing Director in the Higher Education department of a brokerage and investment banking firm. In that role, he worked with dozens of institutions on a variety of areas like enrollment management issues, asset monetization considerations, debt capacity analyses, economic impact of new programs, existing program disruptions, legal reviews of related documents and pro forma cash flow testing. Mr. Nowicki joined ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ's leadership team in 2022, where he provides oversight to the , endowment team, , and .
Vice President for Operations
Kathie Shafer '85
Vice President for Operations
operations@messiah.edu 717-766-2511 ext 2080 Division of Operations
Ms. Shafer oversees the division of the University that significantly impacts students’ and employees’ everyday life including the dining, custodial, facilities maintenance, conference and event services, safety and grounds keeping teams. She also has responsibility for ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ's sustainability initiatives, ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Press, the and crisis management protocols.
Vice President for Advancement
Jon Stuckey
Vice President for Advancement
advancement@messiah.edu 717-796-5064 Advancement Division
As vice president for advancement, Dr. Stuckey oversees several vital functions of the University, including fundraising (development), marketing and communications and alumni and parent relations. These offices work in harmony to ensure that financial resources exist for the implementation of new programs, facilities and student financial aid; to further communicate the mission and brand of ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ to local, regional and national audiences; and to help parents and alumni feel connected to each other and the institution.