NACCU board member named president of Johnson and Wales-Charlotte

NACCU board member Arthur J. Gallagher has been promoted to president of Johnson and Wales University’s new Charlotte (N.C) Campus, expected to open in the fall of 2004.

Gallagher, the university’s vice president of student affairs, will assume his new responsibilities in Charlotte immediately, while transitioning out of his current role over the next few months. He is expected to name key members of the Charlotte campus leadership team in the weeks ahead.

Gallagher has been a member of NACCU (National Association of Campus Card Users) since 1994 and was elected to the board of directors in 1997.

“We are very excited and pleased to hear the announcement that one of our fellow board members has been named as the President of Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte,” said NACCU Chair of the Board Cindy Vetter about Gallagher’s appointment. “I have personally had the honor and privilege to work very closely with Art on the NACCU Board and I know Art will serve in his new position as a university president with the same outstanding skills he has displayed in his previous roles. It is always terrific to see a university recognize a true leader.”

Gallagher joined Johnson and Wales in 1999 and as the chief student affairs officer at the Providence, R.I., campus he has been responsible for leading a variety of departments that provide programs and services to undergraduates, faculty and staff. Before joining Johnson and Wales, Gallagher served for two decades at Brown University’s Associate Dean of Student Life/Director of Residential Life.

In addition to active affiliations with collegiate associations such as NACCU, the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators and the National Association of College Auxiliary Services, Gallagher has served in a variety of community leadership positions. He is a member of Leadership Rhode Island, a group focused on issues related to community leadership in the 21^st century.

“We’re pleased to have Art in place to head our Charlotte campus leadership team and guide the development of one of the most exciting growth opportunities in our University’s history,” said Johnson and Wales University President John A. Yena. “In addition to being an enthusiastic and capable student advocate, we believe Art is well-suited to immerse Johnson & Wales in the Charlotte region and to build on industry and community relationships we’re already forming and which are fundamental to our educational experience and core values.”

Gallagher will relocate to Charlotte from Foxboro, Mass., with his wife and two children. He received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Fairfield University in Fairfield, Conn. He also has completed executive development programs at Johnson & Wales University and Brown University.

“From the moment I began work at Johnson & Wales, I knew I had become a part of a unique and dynamic educational institution,” Gallagher explained. “We have developed a model for student services as well as residential and student life that is an integral part of our position as America’s Career University. I am looking forward to bringing this to the newest J&W campus, where we will be able to integrate our career-orientated curriculum, employment focused programs and emphasis on community leadership into the very heart of the Queen City.”

In June 2002, Johnson and Wales University announced its plans to establish a campus in downtown Charlotte, with classes to begin in September 2004. Enrollment is expected to be 885 students in the first year and increase over the next three years to more than 2,800 students. Johnson & Wales expects to employ 250 faculty and staff members by 2007. Two-year and four-year degree programs will be offered in the university’s three programs of study: The College of Business, The Hospitality College and the College of Culinary Arts.