NEWPORT — Salve Regina University has named Kelli J. Armstrong as its eighth president and its first lay president.
The university announced the development to faculty, staff and students during an open meeting Wednesday afternoon, according to a statement from the institution.
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Armstrong will be the first president who is not a Religious Sister of Mercy, according to Salve Regina. She replaces Jane Gerety, who is retiring after 10 years as president.
Armstrong comes to Salve Regina from Boston College, where she currently serves as vice president for planning and assessment, overseeing initiatives promoting planning and strategic decision-making. She has served Boston College in a variety of positions, including associate vice president from 2006-2012, and as director of the institutional research department that she established there, from 2004-2006, according to a news release announcing her upcoming presidency.
Prior to Boston College, Armstrong was associate vice chancellor for enrollment management at the University of Massachusetts Boston, and she worked in institutional research and enrollment management at Bates College, Tufts University and the University of Massachusetts system.
A graduate of Bates College, Armstrong earned a master’s degree in English from the University of Virginia, and a doctorate in higher education administration from Boston College. She also earned an executive leadership certificate in management from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
“I am deeply honored by the opportunity to serve as Salve Regina’s next president,” said Armstrong in a statement. “Throughout the search process, I was impressed by the extraordinary warmth of the Salve community; it is clearly a special place. The Sisters of Mercy’s values of social justice and service closely align with my own. They have created a wonderful educational environment that is unique in its preparation of students for lifelong learning with a moral compass. Salve Regina has a bright, exciting future and I look forward to working with the entire university community to advance its mission.”
“Kelli J. Armstrong is the perfect choice to serve as Salve Regina’s next president,” said Janet Robinson, Salve’s board of trustees and search committee chairwoman, in a statement.
Robinson said Armstrong has worked at both public and private institutions and has leadership experience in financial management and budgeting, institutional advancement support, enrollment management, student affairs, and institutional strategic planning and assessment.
“To find a candidate who fully comprehends the significance of serving this academic community as its first lay president, who is committed to the values of a Mercy education and who is uniquely qualified to navigate the complex nature of a multifaceted organization in a changing higher education landscape is truly inspiring,” Robinson said.
Armstrong will begin her new role as president in July.
Rob Borkowski is a PBN staff writer. Email him at Borkowski@PBN.com.
