Belinda Childress Anderson was appointed president of Virginia Union University in 2004, the first female president in the 139-year history of the institution. Previously she served as vice president for academic affairs at Virginia Union, dean of the School of General and Continuing Education at Norfolk State University, and director for student affairs and senior academic affairs coordinator at the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. She holds an EdD from Virginia Tech and earned MS and BS degrees in history and social science from Radford University and has presented numerous papers on student retention issues.

MaryAnn Baenninger is president of the College of Saint Benedict (MN), a liberal arts college for women that has a unique partnership with nearby Saint John’s University for men. She holds a doctorate in psychology from Temple University. Early in her career she served on the faculties of the College of New Jersey, Philadelphia University, and Washington College, and she was a senior staff member of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education in Philadelphia. Baenninger has published extensively on gender and cognition as well as outcomes assessment in higher education.

Thomas V. Chema, a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and Harvard Law School, is the president of Hiram College (OH). He has more than 30 years of leadership experience in business, government, and law, and prior to becoming president, he served as a member of Hiram’s board of trustees and chair of the board’s institutional advancement committee. Chema is an expert on energy and telecommunications regulation, infrastructure planning, and developing public/private partnerships.

James M. Dennis became president of McKendree University (IL) in July 1994 and has presided over a dramatic growth in academic strength, enrollment, on-campus residence, fundraising, construction, athletics, and cocurricular activities. Dennis is a leader in promoting volunteer service opportunities for college students and a founder of the National Youth Program, which offers educational and sports opportunities to disadvantaged young people. He holds a PhD from the University of Southern California and was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to study in Germany.

Todd S. Hutton became president and chief executive officer of Utica College (NY) in 1998. Previously he served as vice president for academic administration at Willamette University (OR) and assistant to the president at Austin College (TX). He has a particular interest in the integration of athletics into the educational life of campuses and has also written on technology in higher education, the changing roles of academic libraries, student outcomes assessment, strategic planning, the integration of liberal and professional education, and the relationship between liberal education and business. Hutton received his AB in English from Davidson College (NC), his master’s degree from the University of Florida, and his PhD in education from Duke University (NC).

Wendy Libby became president of Stephens College (MO) in 2003. She previously served as vice president for business affairs and chief financial officer at Furman University (SC). She holds a PhD in educational administration from the University of Connecticut, an MBA in finance from Cornell University, and a BS in biology from Cornell University. In 2006, she received the Citizen of the Year award from the League of Women Voters in Columbia, MO, and is a founding board member and current chair of the Tuition Plan Consortium.