Two local colleges hire leadership executives

Diana Louise Carter//December 23, 2019//

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Two Rochester-area colleges have made new administrative appointments, with two hires migrating from one school to another.

State University College at Geneseo has hired a new vice president for college advancement and executive director of the Geneseo Foundation. Ellen Leverich, a 1990 graduate of Geneseo, most recently in development at the Bloomsburg University Foundation in Pennsylvania, will start work at Geneseo on Feb. 20.

According to the college, Leverich comes to Geneseo with a major fundraising track record, including raising $10 million in the last fiscal year — a 69 percent increase over the previous year — for the Bloomsburg University Foundation. Her other work experience includes 17 years as director of development for Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy in Richmond, Va.

“I’m delighted that Ellen is returning to her alma mater to lead this vitally important function of the College,” said Geneseo President Denise A. Battles. “Her distinguished record of accomplishments in advancement will benefit our students, faculty, and staff along with other college stakeholders as we foster Geneseo’s continued success.”

The Geneseo position has been in transition for much of the last year, with the last permanent appointee, K. Johnson Bowles, leaving in March. Justin Johnston, an assistant vice president, took the position Bowles had held on an interim basis but earlier this month started a job at Genesee Community College Dec. 3.

Johnston is now the vice president of development and external affairs at Genesee Community College, while working on his doctorate in philanthropy at Canisus College in Buffalo. He lives in Williamsville, Erie County.

GCC also recently appointed Miguel Baique, a native of Queens, to the new position of director of student engagement and inclusion. Baique had worked for nearly two years at the McNair Scholars program at Geneseo, and previously as an area director for residential life at Nazareth College. He’s pursuing a doctorate in higher education administration at the University of Rochester.

“With strong teams in both of these important areas of Genesee Community College, I believe these two new leaders will be a huge asset and are in a great position to further support student success which is the core of our mission,” said GCC President James M. Sunser. “We are excited about the Spring 2020 semester with these new faces who bring great experience and enthusiasm.”

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