College Leadership
Board of Trustees
The board has final legislative authority in all matters pertaining to the purpose of the College and the policies for fulfilling the statement of purpose. Among the board's primary functions are selecting the president of the College, developing and sustaining the philosophy and policies of the College, setting the costs of tuition and fees, adopting the annual budget, and approving plans for developing and maintaining the physical plant. Learn more about our Board of Trustees.
Senior Leadership Team
The Senior Leadership Team (SLT) works with the president in a collaborative and advisory capacity to assist in setting the strategic direction for the College. Members of the SLT have management responsibility which represents all areas of the College.
President Betty Rider
Transitional President of Elizabethtown CollegePresident Elizabeth A. Rider was named Transitional President of Elizabethtown College by the Board of Trustees in January 2022. A veteran in higher education, she has been serving in various roles from faculty to administrative positions at Etown for more than 30 years. She spent the first half of her career at Etown as a faculty member in the Department of Psychology and the second half in various administrative positions. She assumed the position of Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs in 2016. In this position, she was the Chief Academic Officer of the College and provided appropriate leadership with other administrators. She worked closely with the Associate Provosts and Deans and provided strategic direction and oversight to the College's academic programs, including those offered through the School of Graduate and Professional Studies.
President Rider is a graduate of Gettysburg College and has master’s and doctoral degrees in psychology from Vanderbilt University. She also completed Harvard’s Institute for Educational Management.
Gerald Silberman
Senior Vice President of Administration and FinanceGerald “Jerry” Silberman is the Senior Vice President of Administration and Finance for Elizabethtown College. Starting in 2019, Silberman came to Etown with an extensive background in higher education specifically in the areas of finance, information technology, human resources, operations, public safety and security and strategic planning. Working in collaboration with the senior management team, Jerry leads the College’s budget and financial operations, oversees the Human Resources Office, and works closely with the President to develop and execute the College’s Strategic Plan. Silberman previously served as Vice President of Administration and Finance at Kutztown University (KU). Since 2007, he’s managed the state university’s annual operating budget of more than $175 million. He also supervised the College’s Office of Human Resources, Facility Operations and Management, Auxiliary Operations, Construction Services, and Public Safety and Police Services.
Prior to his role as VP of Administration and Finance, Jerry served as Assistant Vice President of Administration and Finance, Comptroller, and Director of Accounting at KU since 1991. In addition, Silberman has served as a reviewer on the Middle States Commission on Higher Education evaluating several colleges and universities in the mid-Atlantic region. Silberman holds a Master of Science in Computer and Information Science from Kutztown University, a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from Muhlenberg College and completed Harvard University’s Institute for Educational Management. He is a Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Certified Public Account (CPA).The following offices report to the Senior Vice President of Administration and Finance:
- Business
- Human Resources
- Administrative Support
- Campus Safety
David Beidleman
Vice President for Institutional AdvancementAs vice president for advancement, David serves as secretary to the board and is the chief fundraiser for the College. He works extensively with the Board of Trustees, Leadership Council, Alumni and Parent councils and Campaign Steering committees to advance the engagement of external constituencies including alumni, parents and friends. David holds a bachelor’s degree and a Master of Education from Lehigh University. He has served in the advancement field for over 30 years in various roles at Elizabethtown College, Lehigh University, Lafayette College and Franklin & Marshall College.
- Alumni Relations
- Annual Giving
- Major Giving
- Gift Planning and Foundation Relations
- The High Center for Family Business
- Church Relations at Elizabethtown College
Kristi Kneas
Interim Provost & Vice President for Academic AffairsDr. Kristi A. Kneas was named Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs in March 2022. Since 2020, Provost Kneas had been serving as Associate Provost for Academic and Faculty Affairs. She has been a member of the Blue Jay community since 2006 progressing through the faculty ranks to Professor of Chemistry, also having worked previously in leadership roles as Chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Dean for Academic Affairs and Faculty Development.
As the chief academic program officer of the College, Dr. Kneas reports directly to the President, serves as a member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and as liaison to the Academic Mission and Student Experience Committee of the Board of Trustees, and works closely with the School Deans and other academic leaders to provide strategic direction and oversight of the College’s academic programs. She is responsible for educational personnel issues including faculty appointments and tenure and promotion reviews and for advising the President on all major matters of resource allocation within the academic areas of the College including construction and other capital projects, space allocation, and distribution of new positions within the faculty.
The following areas report to the Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs:
John F. Champoli
Vice President for Enrollment ManagementJohn F. Champoli is Vice President for Enrollment Management at Elizabethtown College. Since 2019, Champoli has been leading the admissions team and enrollment initiatives as the college works to build its student body. Champoli joins Etown from Husson University in Bangor, Maine where he served as Vice President for Enrollment Management and Director of Admissions at Husson since 2015. During his time at Husson, Champoli led his enrollment team to achieve the University’s largest incoming classes for three consecutive years, 2016 through 2018. His wealth of knowledge in enrollment management, data analysis, innovative and targeted recruitment strategies, and a breadth of admissions experiences will all help to grow our enrollment to healthier levels. Prior to Husson, Champoli worked in various roles in Admissions and Enrollment Management at Lycoming College in Williamsport and for six years at the State University of New York. Champoli holds a Bachelor of Fine Art and a minor in psychology from Molloy College and a Master of Fine Art from Long Island University.
Bob Kerin
Vice President of Operations and Auxiliary ServicesBob Kerin joined Elizabethtown College in 2021 from Sodexo where he worked since 2002. There he most oversaw senior care facilities as the Mobilization and Solution Design Director. Bob brings a wealth of experience and background in overseeing operations including infrastructure and process efficiency, customer relations, and revenue generation and containment. Bob received his MBA at West Chester University and holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Grove City College.
Nichole Gonzalez
Dean of Students Executive Director of College Diversity, Equity & BelongingNichole Gonzalez joined the College in August of 2020 as Director of Title IX, Compliance Programs and Intercultural Affairs. In July 2021, Gonzalez was promoted to the role of Dean of Students. With more than 25 years of experience in the field, she has worked to strengthen the College’s student life culture, programming, and diversity, equity and belonging efforts. Prior to coming to Elizabethtown College, Gonzalez served in the Student Affairs Division at St. Bonaventure University, a small private institution in Western New York. Gonzalez comes with extensive experience in Residence Life and Housing, Student Conduct, Title IX, and Diversity, Equity and Belonging. Gonzalez holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in English from the State University of New York, College at Fredonia, and a Master in Business Administration from St. Bonaventure University.
Keri Straub
Executive Director for Marketing and Communications Liaison to the Board of TrusteesKeri Straub is the Executive Director for Marketing and Communications at Elizabethtown College. For more than 15 years, Straub has worked in both the education and broadcast television industries bringing a wealth of experience in public relations, media relations, marketing, digital, strategic, and crisis communications. A former news reporter and producer, Straub has an extensive background within the media industry and serves as the College spokesperson managing media inquiries, pitches, and editorial content for the College. Straub also leads the institution's enrollment marketing, oversees the digital and web functions as well as the strategic communication efforts for the institution. She also serves as editor of the Elizabethtown College magazine. Straub holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism with a minor in Communication, Arts & Sciences from The Pennsylvania State University. She also holds an Advanced Public Information Officer (PIO) certificate from FEMA.
- Marketing and Communications
- Board of Trustee Relations
- Athletic Communications
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