Edited: June 25, 2010

HIRAM'S CHEMA NAMED NORTH COAST PRESIDENT;
WITTENBERG'S ERICKSON TO SERVE AS VICE PRESIDENT

CLEVELAND -- Thomas V. Chema, president of Hiram College, has been elected to a two-year term as president of the North Coast Athletic Conference, effective July 1, 2010. Chema, who had served as the NCAC's vice president the past two years, was chosen to succeed Dale Knobel, president of Denison University. Mark H. Erickson, president of Wittenberg University, was elected vice president.

Keri Alexander Luchowski remains Acting Executive Director of the conference for the second consecutive year. The Chairs of the Sports Caucus are: Joe Karlgaard, director of athletics at Oberlin College; Wendy Gradwohl, faculty representative at Wittenberg University; Betsy Mitchell, director of athletics at Allegheny College and Tim Shutt, faculty representative at Kenyon College. Karlgaard enters his first year of service, while Gradwohl, Mitchell and Shutt enter their second.

Chema was named the 21st president of Hiram in 2003. During his presidency, Hiram has experienced tremendous growth in enrollment, new programs, and campus facilities while enjoying increased visibility and an enhanced position in the higher education marketplace. Enrollment in Hiram's undergraduate program has increased by more than 50 percent with significant gains in out-of-state and minority student populations, while Hiram's nationally respected profile has remained intact with an average ACT of 23 and grade point average of 3.3.

The Hiram campus has been transformed during the past six years. New facilities include the $12 million Lester and Kathy Coleman Sports, Recreation & Fitness Center; a $7 million residence hall which serves as the home of Hiram's new Burton D. Morgan Entrepreneurship Center; reconstruction of the Mecca Church, home of Hiram's Garfield Institute for Public Leadership; expansion of the James H. Barrow Biology Field Station; and renovation of existing campus facilities to house a state-of-the-art nursing education facility and the Henry C. Gelbke Fine Arts Center. Current construction projects include a $5 million dining hall, renovation of Frohring Fine Arts Building to include a black box theatre, and construction of an additional, apartment-style residence hall.

He is a 1971 graduate of Harvard Law School with more than thirty years of leadership experience in business, government, and law. Prior to earning his juris doctorate from Harvard Law School, Chema graduated magna cum laude from the University of Notre Dame in 1968. For the past decade, he has served as a voting member of the Hiram College Board of Trustees and has chaired the Institutional Advancement Committee.

After graduating from Harvard, Chema joined the Cleveland-based firm of Arter and Hadden in June of 1971. He became a partner in 1979. In 1983, Chema resigned his position with Arter and Hadden to serve as executive director of the Ohio Lottery Commission. Two years later, he joined the Public Utility Commission of Ohio as executive director. During his five-year tenure with PUCO, Chema received national and international accolades for his knowledge of energy economics and regulation. He served on the advisory board to the Electric Power Research Institute, the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Alternative Research and Development Strategies, and he was invited to attend the Ditchley Institute in Great Britain—an international forum for sharing insight into global problems.

After fulfilling his tenure at PUCO, Chema rejoined Arter and Hadden as a partner in 1989. In 1990, Chema parlayed his knowledge and experience working with the state lottery and utility organizations into an executive directorship with the Gateway Economic Development Corporation of Greater Cleveland. During his thirteen years with Gateway, Chema oversaw the financing and construction of two major public sports facilities, Gund Arena, now Quicken Loans Arena, and Jacobs’ Field, now Progressive Field.

He is a trustee of civic and charitable boards including the Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation, Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine Health System, St. Ignatius High School, Ohio Hunger Task Force, Historic Gateway Neighborhood Economic Development Corporation, and Chair of the Board of UHHS/CSAHS-Cuyahoga and Kids Voting Program. Chema has increased Hiram's visibility by serving in a leadership role in a number of national higher education associations including the Council of Independent Colleges, the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, the Annapolis Group, and with Ohio-based organizations such as the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Ohio and the Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges.

Erickson became Wittenberg’s 13th president, when he arrived on campus in 2005. With more than 10 years of experience in student development, he possesses a thorough understanding of the student experience and regularly advocates for student representation and feedback. A stalwart proponent of infusing the curriculum with international perspective, Erickson has insisted that students have a global experience during their four years at Wittenberg.

A member of numerous professional associations and a presenter at national and international conferences on such topics as international education, global citizenship, student attitudes, the impact of residential colleges and the role of universities as engines for economic development, Erickson is also a staunch supporter of Wittenberg’s hometown of Springfield. He currently serves on several local and regional boards dedicated to improving the quality of life in Springfield and to increasing opportunities for graduates to serve in the community and the surrounding area.

In addition to his significant experience in global education, diversity, student development and community engagement, Erickson brings a wealth of experience in strategic planning, the result of which can be seen in the university’s strategic plan titled Distinctively Wittenberg: A Vision of Excellence.

Prior to arriving at Wittenberg, Erickson served as the vice president for administrative and government affairs at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., as well as a top adviser to Lehigh’s president. He earned his A.B. in American history from Princeton University, his Ed.M. from Harvard University and his Ed.D. in educational leadership from Lehigh where he received the Matthew W. Gaffney Award for academic excellence. He also completed additional study in world religions and pastoral care at Harvard Divinity School.

Founded in 1983, the North Coast Athletic Conference consists of nine academically selective colleges and universities - Allegheny College, Denison University, Hiram College, Kenyon College, Oberlin College, Ohio Wesleyan University, Wabash College, Wittenberg University and the College of Wooster along with affiliate member Earlham College (field hockey). DePauw University will join the North Coast beginning with the 2011-12 academic year. The NCAC sponsors 23 championship sports, 11 for men and 12 for women.