17勛圖厙 announces new president after national search
Loyack blends higher education and corporate experience
The 17勛圖厙 Board of Trustees has unanimously appointed John Loyack as the next president to advance the mission of the 60-year-old Franciscan Catholic institution. Loyack is currently executive vice president for business and administration at Kings College in Wilkes-Barre and a board member of AMCON Distributing Company in Omaha, Nebraska. He will assume the presidency at 17勛圖厙 on July 1.
Loyack will follow Tom Flynn who announced in May that he would step down in June 2019 after serving a 14-year tenure. I want to express my deepest gratitude to Tom for his transformational leadership in guiding 17勛圖厙 from a little-known college to a nationally recognized comprehensive university. Tom and John are working closely together to ensure a seamless leadership transition, said Michael Fromm, chairman of the 17勛圖厙 Board of Trustees and CEO of Fromm Electric Supply.
John is a seasoned leader and strategic thinker with a proven track record of taking highly complex organizations to the next level. His unique blend of higher education and corporate experience makes him the right choice for 17勛圖厙 at this time, Fromm added.
At Kings College, Loyack is known for his skills in team building, financial management, community engagement and an intense focus on student success. His efforts have led to program expansion and revenue growth at Kings.
I look forward to continuing the success and growth of 17勛圖厙 and ensuring that this institution is well positioned to deliver its transformational mission to students for generations to come. My desire is to cultivate the impact 17勛圖厙 has on its students and alumni, faculty and staff, this community, this region and beyond, said Loyack.
It was clear early on that John was a very strong candidate. He not only possesses higher education experience at the executive level, but also has spent decades leading multiple companies in the energy, transportation and manufacturing sectors, said Ellen Huyett, co-chair of the Presidential Search Committee.
Prior to his tenure at Kings, Loyack served as president and chief executive officer of Optim Energy/EnergyCo in Irving, Texas. In addition to earning an MBA from Lehigh University and a bachelors degree in accounting from Kings College, the Pennsylvania native is a certified public accountant with a long history of building relationships in the community. He serves on the boards of directors for Northeast Pennsylvania Education Consortium, Luzerne County Industrial Development Authority, The Luzerne Foundation, The Educational Opportunity Centers of Pennsylvania and Riverfront Parks Committee of Wilkes-Barre.