Published:
- by Mount Saint Mary College

James Raimo, Dr. David A. Kennett, Sr. Margaret Anderson, and Charles FrankLeft to right: James Raimo, former Mount Saint Mary College Acting President and current Vice President for Facilities and Operations; Dr. David A. Kennett, Mount Saint Mary College Interim President; Sr. Margaret Anderson, OP, Mount Saint Mary College trustee; and Charles Frank, Chair of The Board of Trustees of Mount Saint Mary College.

Charles Frank, Chair of The Board of Trustees of Mount Saint Mary College, announced today that Dr. David A. Kennett has been selected as Interim President for a two-year term effective immediately.

Dr. Kennett joins Mount Saint Mary College from Vassar College where he has worked since 1976 and most recently served as the Elizabeth Stillman Williams Professor of Economics. He is an accomplished member of Vassar’s faculty, as well as a sought after visiting professor at many colleges and universities around the world, an author of many books and papers, a frequent speaker, and a consultant providing his economic expertise to a broad range of both private and public organizations, including the U.S. Justice Department and The World Bank.

“Following a thorough vetting of interim presidential candidates, I am pleased to welcome Dr. Kennett to Mount Saint Mary College and look forward to his immediate contributions. His strong academic credentials and impressive list of experiences will be a great asset to the Mount,” said Charles Frank, Chair of the Board of Trustees for Mount Saint Mary College. “My sincere gratitude to Trustees Sister Margaret Anderson, OP and Anna Halpine for their leadership of the search process, and to all of the other members of the Mount community who helped in developing the model of attributes and characteristics we sought in a candidate at this time. The Board is pleased to have such an accomplished candidate in place prior to the start of the school year and we look forward to beginning our search committee process for a full-time president.”

Dr. David A. Kennett will be on campus beginning today, and he will be joining Mount Saint Mary College for a two-year term which will expire at the end of the 2017-2018 Academic Year. His first priority is to meet with faculty, staff, administrators and students of the Mount along with community leaders and alumnae before the start of the school year.

“I am very excited to build on the momentum of the Mount by ensuring the continuation of its high standards of academic rigor and the strong values it has always demonstrated,” said Dr. David A. Kennett. “I am deeply committed to always acting in the best interest of Mount Saint Mary College and ensuring that we create an environment that drives it forward and continues its growth.”

Dr. David A. KennettAbout Dr. David A. Kennett, Interim President – Mount Saint Mary College
Dr. David A. Kennett received his Bachelors degree from the University of Sussex, England. He began his career as an economist for Unilever and Drivers Jonas, both in London, and came to Columbia University to complete his masters and doctoral degrees. He taught at Fordham University, Queens College, and Columbia before joining the Vassar College Economics Department in 1976, becoming Chair in 1984. He has served as visiting professor at the Economic University of Varna, Bulgaria, as Visiting Distinguished Professor of Economics at the Institute d’Etudes Politiques in Paris, and as a Visiting Scholar at the University of Sussex and University College London. He has served as a consultant to the United Nations, the World Bank and the OECD, as well as government agencies and municipalities within the U.S. At Vassar College, as well as Chair of Economics, he has also been Director of Asian Studies, Director of International Studies Program, and in 2009, was named Elizabeth Stillman Williams Professor of Economics.

Dr. Kennett is an accomplished author and frequent speaker on economic topics. He has authored four books and monographs to date on various economic issues around the world and numerous articles, papers, and speeches on global economic issues. While at Vassar, Dr. Kennett served on a number of committees, including: the Presidential Search Committee; International Studies Steering Committee; Faculty Appointments and Salary Committee; Priorities and Planning Committee; Faculty Compensation Committee; President’s Cabinet; Faculty Athletic Advisory Committee; Faculty Policy and Conference Committee; the Task Force on Grading Standards; the Facilities Committee; and the Appeals Committee.

About Mount Saint Mary College
Mount Saint Mary College is a private, co-educational, four-year liberal arts college, located in Newburgh in the mid-Hudson Valley region of New York State. It was founded in 1960 by the Dominican Sisters. The campus overlooks the Hudson River, halfway between New York City and Albany. More than 2,700 men and women are enrolled in more than 50 undergraduate programs and 3 graduate degree programs. The Knights compete in NCAA Division III athletics in the Skyline Conference.

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