Newswise — Teaneck, N.J. (April 23, 2013) -- Sheldon Drucker, Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Chief Operating Officer and current Interim President, has been named the University’s seventh president, effective immediately. Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Board of Trustees announced the appointment today. Drucker succeeds J. Michael Adams, who passed away after serving the University for 12 years.
“In Sheldon Drucker, we have someone with the experience, knowledge and skills necessary to raise FDU to a new level of achievement and excellence,” said Patrick J. Zenner, Chair, FDU Board of Trustees. “He is a tremendous strategist, an individual with impeccable judgment, someone not afraid to make difficult decisions and, most of all, a truly honorable man who will always represent FDU with the utmost dignity and distinction.”
In his 17 years serving FDU, Drucker has been an influential force driving numerous initiatives and skillfully balancing budgetary stewardship with integral investments in the future. Drucker was part of a team that helped engineer a strong financial turnaround and provided a foundation for future growth. He led the continued financial growth of the University and helped develop more than a decade of consecutive balanced budgets. He further played a major role in numerous initiatives that have forwarded the University’s global mission, including the establishment of FDU’s campus in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, which opened in 2007 and FDU’s School of Pharmacy, which welcomed the inaugural class in 2012.
“Most recently, in the last two years serving first as acting president and then as interim president, Shelley has demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities and proven himself an influential and inspirational president who can build on the foundation set by University founder Peter Sammartino, extend the vision of recent president J. Michael Adams and carve his own legacy in the remarkable history of Fairleigh Dickinson University,” Zenner continued.
“I am incredibly grateful for the confidence the Board of Trustees and the entire community has shown in me,” said Drucker. “It is an honor and privilege to serve such a devoted and caring community. FDU has enjoyed a rich history of innovation and achievement and I look forward to building on that legacy and doing everything possible to help our students transform their lives.”
The University had formed a Presidential Search Committee which conducted a national search and brought two finalists to campus last week. Zenner said, however, that as the search reached the final stages and all the top candidates were considered, it became clear to the board that "we already were benefitting from the service of an incredible leader who was daily proving himself the best fit for the University.”
Drucker will continue to lead a senior administration team that includes Chris Capuano as University provost and Joe Kiernan and Peter Woolley as campus provosts.
“Together with a team of strong administrators, talented faculty and skillful staff, FDU will be positioned to seize new opportunities and develop innovative academic programs that will educate and prepare our students for the 21st century,” said Zenner.
Prior to joining the University, Drucker was the Chief Financial Officer of IVC Industries, Inc. (1994–1996), and Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (1979–1993). Drucker is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Institute of Management Accountants.
About Fairleigh Dickinson UniversityDevoted to the preparation of world citizens through global education, Fairleigh Dickinson is New Jersey's largest private university and features more than 100 liberal arts and professional degree programs, two international campuses, dozens of partnerships with internationally renowned institutions and special programs and status within the United Nations. For more information, visit www.fdu.edu.
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