President of Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania Abruptly Resigns

Cecilia M. McCormick, president of Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania, resigned from her post on December 31. She cited the time requirements associated with the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic during her brief tenure as president and her desire to focus on her personal and family life.

“While I am deeply honored and grateful to serve the Elizabethtown College community as its president, I have made the difficult decision to step down,” President McCormick said. “I am proud of the work we have done to keep our college community safe during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, like so many others among us, the pandemic has also reinforced for me the importance of prioritizing what’s most important in our lives. As we start a new year, and with the college on strong footing, I believe this is the right decision for me and my family.”

Before becoming the first woman president of the college in July 2019, McCormick served as vice provost for academic strategy and special programs at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Earlier at Jefferson, she served as the chief of staff for the Office of Academic Affairs and as the associate provost for strategic and academic initiatives. Previously, she was the chief of staff to the senior vice president for finance and administration and chief operating officer at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. She also has held a variety of positions at Widener University in Pennsylvania including executive director in the Office of the President, dean, and director of the Legal Education Institute at the School of Law, associate director for the School of Law, and associate dean and dean of academic affairs for the School of Business Administration.

In addition to her experience in higher education, McCormick served as an attorney for 10 years with two private law firms in the Philadelphia region. She has also served as assistant general counsel for PECO Energy and as special project manager for The Vanguard Group’s Retirement Resource Center.

McCormick holds a bachelor’s degree in management and marketing from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia and a juris doctorate from Widener University’s Delaware Law School.