St. Joseph College names new president

Rensselaer, Ind. - The St. Joseph’s College Board of Trustees has named Dr. F. Dennis Riegelnegg as the College’s next president, culminating a seven-month search.

Riegelnegg will take office July 1 as the College’s third lay president and the 17th president of SJC, succeeding the eight-year tenure of Dr. Ernest R. Mills III.

“My wife Patti and I are very excited about becoming part of the SJC community. We find SJC to be a very cordial and accepting community and a place where we want to be,” said Riegelnegg. “Faith, family, and community are extremely important. SJC has a great Catholic tradition thanks to the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, and having been a part of a Franciscan institution for 13 years has reinforced for me the importance of an education based in Catholic values.”

Riegelnegg spent 13 years as Vice President for Student Development and Community Development at St. Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania. While there he was also responsible for enrollment management. Riegelnegg also has extensive consulting and evaluation experience with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, an accreditation agency in which he served as a Reviewer. Riegelnegg served as a Reviewer at the following institutions: Bloomfield College, Roberts Wesleyan College, Universidad del Turabo, American University of Puerto Rico, Hostos Community College, St. Peter’s University, and American University of Beirut, which was the first-ever review for the university.

“With a proven track record in higher education, Dr. Riegelnegg makes for an excellent addition to the SJC family,” Chairman of the Board and 1969 SJC graduate, Larry Laudick said in announcing Riegelnegg’s appointment. “I’d like to thank the committee and the community for their help during this process. Dr. Riegelnegg is extremely qualified to build upon Dr. Mills’ legacy and will undoubtedly position the College for continued growth and excellence in the coming years.”

Someone who thrives on creating lasting relationships, Riegelnegg is extremely interested in advancing the mission and success of SJC. “I will form goals with the campus community with an eye for maintaining the traditions of the College and developing curriculum that ensures SJC’s responsiveness to new developments in education. I want to be involved in work that will allow me to help provide an education that will change the lives of students in profound ways,” said Riegelnegg.

Riegelnegg looks to place emphasis at the start of his presidency on enrollment, both recruitment and retention, fundraising, and the telling of the SJC story. “At St. Francis University we not only developed an ‘institution,’ but an entire community. I look forward to doing the same at SJC,” commented Riegelnegg.

Riegelnegg earned a doctorate in Administration and Policy Studies in Higher Education from the University of Pittsburgh; a master’s degree in Guidance and Counseling, and a bachelor of arts degree in Political Science, along with teaching certification in secondary education from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.

St. Joseph's College, named a "character-building college" by the Templeton Foundation and a "best Midwestern college" by the Princeton Review, is a four-year, Catholic, liberal arts college offering 75 major, minor and pre-professional programs. Founded and sponsored by the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, SJC is located in Rensselaer, Ind., approximately 90 minutes from both Chicago and Indianapolis, on a park-like campus of 180 acres and has an enrollment of over 1,000 students.