SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio — The board of trustees at Notre Dame College has unanimously approved J. Michael Pressimone, Ed.D., as the school's 15th president.
Dr. Pressimone—currently president at Fontbonne University in St. Louis—will serve as the replacement for Thomas Kruczek, who resigned last June to accept the job as president of Christopher Columbus High School in Miami. The university has since been headed by Dr. John Galovic on an interim basis, but Pressimone will take over the reigns on July 1.
Pressimone issued the following statement:
"I am honored to join the Notre Dame College community as we begin our important work together. My wife Cathy and I felt a strong connection to the mission and the beautiful work begun by the Sisters of Notre Dame nearly 100 years ago. As we met more and more Notre Dame College colleagues, it was clear that the College was a place that would marry our passion for this work with a community of hope and optimism and dedicated to serving a wonderfully diverse student population. I am anxious to hit the ground running."
A native of Baltimore, Pressimone received his bachelor's degree from the Catholic University of American in Washington, D.C., before earning his Master's and doctorate degrees from Regis University in Denver and Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois, respectively. His career in higher education spans more than 30 years, and he has been at Fontbonne since 2014.
In a release, Notre Dame College lauded Pressimone for his fundraising skills as well as for being "an active voice in issues of diversity and racial justice" and for his efforts to combat sex trafficking and abuse at Fontbonne. Officials called him "a strong relationship builder with a reputation for teamwork, collaboration and an ability and passion for bringing students, faculty, staff and the community together to achieve mutually beneficial goals."
Said Ann Hawkins, Chair of the Notre Dame College Board of Trustees:
"We are delighted that after a thorough and thoughtful national search, Dr. Pressimone emerged as the best fit to be Notre Dame’s next president. The number of outstanding candidates who came forward reflects the College’s reputation for quality education, service to students and respect for the mission of the Sisters of Notre Dame. I have complete confidence in Dr. Pressimone as our next president, and I look forward to working with him, as I am sure the entire College community does."
Pressimone will not be coming to South Euclid alone: He and wife Cathy have 12 children and six grandchildren, with three more of the latter apparently on the way.
