The board of trustees of Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, has announced the appointment of Marsha Kelliher as the educational institution’s 24th president. When she takes office on June 1, she will become the first woman to serve as president of Simpson College.
Simpson College, founded in 1860, enrolls nearly 1,400 undergraduate students and about 50 graduate students, according to the latest data supplied to the U.S. Department of Education. Women make up 53 percent of the student body.
“Simpson College’s exceptional academic reputation including the accomplishments of faculty and staff and breadth of programs supported by co-curricular learning and student life is impressive,” said Kelliher. “During the interview process and visit to campus, I was inspired by the rich traditions and promising future of Simpson College.”
Kelliher began her career at Peat, Marwick, Mitchell, & Co. in 1982. She joined the ranks of academia in 1994 at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, and in 1998 was named the interim dean of the university’s MBA program. From 2000-2004 she served as the dean of the Graduate School of Management and from 2004-2013, she oversaw the university’s graduate and undergraduate business programs. Then, Kelliher served as dean of Sigmund Weis School of Business at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. Since 2017, Kelliher was served as president of Walsh College in Troy Michigan.
President Kelliher is a graduate of Indiana University. She holds a master’s degree in law from the University of San Diego and a juris doctorate from the South Texas College of Law in Houston.