MARLBORO — Marlboro College will have a new leader this summer.
Kevin F.F. Quigley steps in as the college's president, bringing with him international experiences and a love of liberal arts education.
“Liberal arts education, especially in distinctive and academically rich settings such as Marlboro College, has a unique ability to anticipate change and prepare individuals for thoughtful, purposeful and effective engagement in the world,” said Quigley. “At its best, this education stirs a passion for life-long learning, encourages discernment and judgment, offers a global perspective, and fosters the motivation to make a difference.”
In an interview with WTSA News Director Tim Johnson, Quigley said he was excited to take the helm at Marlboro College.
The college, he said, is aligned with one of Quigley's core values: to help young people “shape a life of purpose.”
Students learn to be independent thinkers and problem solvers, he said. Students also learn to work together to solve broad issues facing communities.
A search committee comprised of 16 trustees, alumni faculty staff, and students named Quigley to the post on Feb. 7. He takes the reins of the nearly 70-year old liberal arts college from outgoing President Ellen McCulloch-Lovell on July 1.
McCulloch-Lovell has served as the college's president for 11 years.
According to its website, Marlboro College's undergraduate programs have an average student enrollment of 300, an annual operating budget of $14 million, and an endowment of $36.5 million.
“We are thrilled to be welcoming someone of Kevin's stature into our unique academic community,” said Dean Nicyper, chairman of the board of trustees. “With his rich background in academia, international service, institutional advancement, alumni relations, and leadership training, Kevin will help mobilize the Marlboro community to realize its 21st-century priorities.”
According to a press release from the college, Quigley is currently serving as the Peace Corps country director in Thailand. Prior to this, he served as president and CEO of the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA), an alumni organization for the more than 200,000 former Peace Corps staff and volunteers.
Quigley helped lead the the Peace Corps' 50th anniversary campaign. According to the press release, he developed a community-based model that used social media to engage the public. Quigley also established the More Peace Corps Campaign that led to the agency's highest appropriation in its history marking an increase of $60 million.
While at NPCA, Quigley secured endowment funding for the Harris Wofford Global Citizen Award. This award recognizes volunteers' impact on individuals they serve. Quigley also helped secure passage of the Peace Corps Commemorative Act signed into law by President Obama last year.
Through the NPCA, Quigley is one of the founding sponsors of the Building Bridges Coalition. The coalition focuses on improving the quality and quantity of Americans who volunteer internationally and includes international volunteer organizations, universities, corporations, and nonprofits working to promote international volunteering.
Quigley has written on expanding the Peace Corps and the number of Americans volunteering overseas on websites such as The Huffington Post.
According to the Marlboro College press release, Quigley is passionate about “how education develops skills that expand opportunities, and in helping make public institutions more accountable.”
“His doctoral dissertation explored how Thai non-governmental organizations contribute to democratic development by providing practical experience in governance and essential values of tolerance and compromise,” read the release. “As the first executive director of the Global Alliance for Workers and Communities, he pioneered work with global companies like Nike and The Gap, the World Bank, and various universities and community-based organizations, seeking to improve the lives of production workers.”
He holds degrees from Swarthmore College, National University of Ireland, Columbia University, and Georgetown University. Among the many international professional fellowships he has received, Quigley has been a Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow and scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
He also counts the Institute for Sustainable Communities in Montpelier, founded by former Governor Madeleine M. Kunin, on his extensive resumé.
He is the author of “For Democracy's Sake: Foundations and Democracy Assistance in Central Europe.”
“The wealth of skills and experience that Kevin will bring to Marlboro, from community engagement to advocacy for the liberal arts, stand to ensure the college will sustain its unique place in higher education,” said Nicyper.