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Daan Braveman, the president of Nazareth College since 2005, has announced he will retire in June 2020.
When he steps down, he will be Nazareth’s longest-serving president.
“This was an extraordinarily difficult decision for me as I have tremendous love for this school. I firmly believe that Nazareth has precisely the values and mission that are needed in higher education,” Braveman said in a prepared statement. “Yet, a change in leadership is beneficial for an institution. It creates opportunities for fresh ideas, for new energy, and for heightened levels of excitement. So too, I believe that change is good for individuals, making room for renewal, new experiences, and personal growth.”
College board members credited Braveman with reshaping the college for success in a time when many liberal arts colleges are struggling. He also oversaw the construction or renovation of eight campus buildings when nothing had been built in the decade before he came on board.
“The successes Nazareth College has reached over the last 15 years are a direct correlation of the leadership style and qualities of Daan Braveman,” said Nazareth College board of trustees Chairman Sergio Esteban, CEO of LaBella Associates. “Daan has an innate ability in developing a vision and focusing on its execution by humbly seeking ideas and achieving support from his senior team and the entire Nazareth Community.”
Said Braveman, “No one person or small group can change a place. It required the dedicated work of faculty staff, students, trustees, alumni and donors.”
Timothy Fournier, chairman and CEO of Conifer Realty LLC, and vice chairman of the Nazareth trustees, said, “because of the strategic focus on fulfilling our responsibilities to students and creating a culture of success, we now find ourselves in an enviable position quite rare among private institutions in New York State. Over the last 15 years we have seen increased retention, academic reputation and a growth in endowment and enrollment. Daan’s tenure has brought growth, stability and forward momentum for the college.”
Under Braveman’s direction, Nazareth has:
- Added 30 academic programs
- Executed a record $49 million capital campaign
- Renovated the Nazareth Arts Center and added an adjacent concert hall
- Built a new dormitory, math and science building, health and wellness building
- Reworked curriculum to include a experiential learning component
- Created the Center for Life Work, a career development program
- Entered in a partnership with Special Olympics and is building the Golisano Training Center, slated to open later this year, for that purpose.
The college plans to launch a search for Braveman’s replacement, aiming to have that person begin work July 1, 2020.
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