Maria College's president resigns

The board of trustees of Maria College in Albany accepted president Dr. Lea A. Johnson's resignation on Jan. 15 and appointed Joseph G. Salamack III, chair of the board, as transitional leader.

Dr. Johnson was sworn in as Maria's fourth president and first lay president in 2012. For almost four years, she worked to transform the college into a baccalaureate institution for future growth and long-term sustainability. Under her direction and consistent with the vision of the college's founders and sponsors, the Religious Sisters of Mercy, a strategic plan, "Embracing our Potential," was written to create a blueprint for Maria College offering high-demand majors while remaining an affordable private college.

Mr. Salamack stated: "We have been fortunate to have President Johnson's vast higher-education experience to implement the board's directives by expanding the number of academic program offerings, upgrade campus facilities and technology, improve both the board and campus governance structures and practices, and deepening the support functions of admissions, marketing and development. We are grateful for her vision and leadership."

Maria College was founded in 1958 by the Sisters of Mercy and became best-known in ensuing decades for its associate's degrees in fields like early childhood education, nursing, secretarial science and liberal arts. In 2014, it became a four-year institution.

Mr. Salamack said the search for a new president has already begun and the college "has attracted many excellent candidates. We expect to have an interim president in place very soon."[[In-content Ad]]