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Presidio Graduate School President/CEO William Shutkin Announces Resignation

Presidio Graduate School President/CEO William Shutkin Announces Resignation

Published 03-02-16

Submitted by Presidio Graduate School

Presidio Graduate School President and CEO William Shutkin today announced he is resigning from his position effective June 1, 2016.

President Shutkin said he will be stepping down after five years of successful collaboration and institutional growth.

“After five years, I believe we’ve accomplished what we set out to do when I arrived at PGS in 2011, helping make PGS a better, stronger, more competitive institution,” he stated. “It’s time for a change.”

President Shutkin, who is also the Richard M. Gray Fellow in Sustainability Practice at Presidio Graduate School, has held the positions since July 2011. During his tenure, the school achieved independent accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, stabilized enrollments and funding, including a record $3,000,000 multi-year gift in 2015, and plans to launch a fully online MBA and MPA degree program in the fall of 2016.

PGS has also been ranked among the top-tier global sustainable business programs two years in a row, and was featured recently in the New York Times, Bloomberg Business, and Poets & Quants.

Presidio Graduate School’s Board of Directors expressed its appreciation to President Shutkin for his dedication and service to the school.

“We are grateful for Mr. Shutkin’s contributions and his ability to raise the awareness of the excellence of a Presidio Graduate School education among a competitive field of top quality institutions,” Suzanne Farver, Chair of the Board, said. “The school has prospered for these past years under President Shutkin’s tenure, and we wish him well.”

The Board will develop plans to find its next president/CEO over the next several months.  In order to facilitate a smooth transition, it has appointed Dr. Mark Schulman, former President of Saybrook University in San Francisco, Goddard College in Vermont and Antioch University Southern California, to serve as Provost, beginning March 1. Dr. Schulman will assume day-to-day operations of PGS, working with President Shutkin so as to ensure continuity, and will step into the interim presidency after President Shutkin’s departure for the remaining duration of the presidential selection process.  

“We want to avoid a sudden or sharp change in leadership or policies, and, with his rich academic and administrative background and experience, Dr. Schulman working with President Shutkin will provide a smooth transition for Presidio,” continued Ms. Farver. “We are very fortunate that he was available and willing to serve at this important time for the school.”

Dr. Schulman’s service at Saybrook, Goddard and Antioch are indicative of his talents as a seasoned university president. While at Goddard, he significantly increased enrollment, increased the endowment by threefold, and solidified its financial position, building the school’s reputation and stature.

“Presidio provides its students with the tools to make meaningful change in the world’s business community,” said Dr. Schulman. “I look forward to collaborating with its excellent faculty, staff and students and to participate in this important work.” 

Presidio Graduate School, in San Francisco, CA, educates and inspires a new generation of skilled, visionary and enterprising leaders to transform business and public policy and create a more just, prosperous and sustainable world. Through innovative MBA and MPA and research programs, PGS activates students and professionals across a range of disciplines, industries and sectors to bridge the gap between commerce and the common good.

Contact: Benjamin Wachs, at press-contact@presidio.edu or (415) 862-4273.

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Presidio Graduate School

Presidio Graduate School

Founded in 2002, Presidio Graduate School (PGS) is a values-driven graduate school offering MBA, MPA, and Dual MBA/MPA degree programs and Professional Certificates in Sustainable Solutions. All courses in the first of its kind curriculum integrate social justice, environmental responsibility, and systems thinking.

A world-class faculty academy of full and part-time scholar-practitioners possess subject matter expertise across the full spectrum of sustainability disciplines. With over 1900 business and public administration alumni at the forefront of the field, PGS is a global hub for sustainability innovation and regenerative impact, helping forge a new definition of the common good at the intersection of for-profit and for-benefit. Learn more about PGS programs, people, and impact at presidio.edu.

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