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Manor College Selects New President

November 10, 2015
Posted in: Archives, News

The Sisters of the Order of Saint Basil the Great and the Board of Trustees of Manor College are pleased to announce that Jonathan Peri has been named the 9th President of Manor College. Peri, who will be the college’s first lay President, will assume his new role on November 16.

Jonathan Peri, currently serves as Vice President of Newmann University. “The Board of Trustees and Manor community have done a wonderful job of stewarding Manor’s Catholic Basilian mission. It’s an honor for me to assume the responsibility of President,” said Peri. “Manor offers incredible educational opportunities, bolstered by recently updated facilities, such as our science labs and Dental Health Center. We are poised for the next level of development both on our campus and in our community, guided by our mission.”

Peri’s professional experience is grounded in his work for several liberal arts institutions. He currently serves as Vice President and General Counsel at Newmann University, where, as a longstanding member of the Executive Team, he was involved in all major institutional decisions and strategic planning. He displayed multiple competencies as a faculty member, developing and teaching courses throughout the Ph.D. level in the social sciences, including in the areas of sociology, business, law, political science, and finance. Peri has several articles published and has presented extensively in the areas of higher education law and educational leadership.

During an era when a move from college to university status in Pennsylvania was procedurally complex, Peri led the objective at Newmann with expedient success. He has since advised other institutions about that process, and is sought after as a practiced professional in institutional governance, leadership and policy. At Newmann, Peri also served as director of the university’s Board of Trustees Development Committee. He has directly helped with the advancement of capital dollars, grants, and is a key generator of institutional contacts. Jonathan also has experience in the areas of human resources, risk management, and information technology.

Our newly elected President has garnered several awards and honors including Widener University School of Law’s Outstanding Service Award and the Upper Darby Community Outreach Corporation’s Person of the Year. He is also a gubernatorial and senatorial appointee to three different state educational boards, including Pennsylvania’s Board of Education and its Council on Higher Education, as well as the Pennsylvania State Tuition Account Programs Advisory Board. He also serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Walden School, a private primary Montessori school, and is a past President of the Delaware County Bar Association.

With a bachelor’s degree in Theology from Villanova University, Mr. Peri has obtained his Juris Doctorate degree from the Widener University School of Law. He is also ABD and will have a second doctoral degree upon completion of Eastern University’s Organizational Leadership Ph.D. program – education concentration. Peri has attended several higher education executive leadership development programs including through Boston College, AACU, AALI, and Harvard University.

Sister Dorothy Ann and the Provincial Council look forward to a relationship of collaboration and cooperation as Mr. Peri carries out the mission of the Sisters of the Order of Saint Basil the Great.