Mahony: Winthrop will plan for future, tackle immediate needs quickly

New Winthrop President Dan Mahony says he’ll spend his first year at the university drafting a strategic plan for the future, but the school “won’t wait a year to get going on things.”

Mahony settled into the president’s suite in Winthrop’s Tillman Hall on Wednesday morning.

The former academic dean at Kent State University in Ohio was chosen in March as Winthrop’s 11th president. Mahony’s wife and two children will live on campus in the President’s House.

One of Mahony’s first official duties Wednesday was to welcome incoming freshmen and their parents who are on campus this week for summer orientation.

He also had plans to meet with Winthrop Provost Debra Boyd, who spent the last 12 months as the university’s acting president while school leaders searched for Jamie Comstock Williamson’s replacement.

Winthrop trustees fired Williamson in June 2014 after just 11 months in office. They levied against Williamson a bevy of accusations related to ethical problems – all of which Williamson has denied.

Before that, Anthony DiGiorgio, now retired, led the school for 24 years.

Boyd did a good job keeping Winthrop on track during a challenging time, Mahony said. In their meeting Wednesday, Mahony expected to discuss Winthrop’s finances and the outcome of a recent budget freeze and spending reduction measure.

Boyd’s efforts to keep Winthrop “fiscally strong,” Mahony said, have helped set him up for success.

“We’ll need to look at budgets more closely in the future,” he said.

Mahony said he’ll waste no time tackling immediate university needs. At the top of his list:

▪ Finding ways to increase student enrollment.

▪ Ensuring quality experiences for students on campus.

▪ Building relationships with elected officials and community leaders.

▪ Boosting morale and the work experience for Winthrop faculty and staff members.

Within just a few hours of starting work, Mahony also was scheduled to start one of the most important duties of a university president: talking with the people who help pay for scholarships and other campus needs.

He’ll approach potential donors, he said, with the mindset of matching their personal passions with needs of current and future Winthrop students.

Mahony recalled a time at Kent State when he spent five years getting to know a particular donor and sharing information with her about the school before she decided to make a donation. It was the longest time he had ever spent working with a new donor, he said, “but it was worth the time and effort.”

‘I’ve been waiting for this day’

Although Williamson had a strained relationship with the board and departed under unfavorable circumstances, Mahony says he won’t dwell on the past. He plans to be approachable, transparent and hard-working to allow the Winthrop community to get to know him.

People will get to know his family, too, he said. His wife, Laura Mahony, has said she will be visible at Winthrop events, along with children Elena and Gavin.

As Winthrop’s new leader, Mahony said he was more excited than nervous on his first day.

“I’ve been waiting for this day, and I’m glad the boxes are now unpacked,” Mahony said. “It’s a great place for us to live, and the kids love it. ... It’s been a pretty smooth transition.”

Mahony’s first year as a college president is Winthrop’s 130th academic year. He has more than two decades of experience working in higher education, including 13 years at the University of Louisville.

Some mementos from previous jobs made their way to Winthrop with Mahony. A small, wooden Louisville Slugger baseball bat sat on one shelf in his office. Books on sports history and sport management – an area of Mahony’s academic expertise – were nearby. His degrees from Ohio State University, West Virginia University and Virginia Tech hung on the wall behind his desk.

Mahony’s office also connects with his future.

Several garnet and gold – Winthrop’s school colors – items were arranged next to Mahony’s personal keepsakes. One area of a bookshelf housed nearly a dozen books authored by past and current Winthrop faculty members.

One of those books was by English professor John Bird, who helped trustees search for and select Winthrop’s new president. Bird has said Mahony was the faculty’s favorite during the vetting process.

Mahony says professors, academic leaders, and other Winthrop employees will have a say this year in his strategic planning. He promised to be a president who “wants to listen to input,” use those opinions, and “communicate back why we’re doing the things that we’re doing.”

This story was originally published July 1, 2015 at 3:43 PM with the headline "Mahony: Winthrop will plan for future, tackle immediate needs quickly."