Joshua Young, ’04, is the new chair of Slippery Rock University’s council of trustees after the council approved officers for the 2026-27 academic year at its quarterly business meeting, June 5, in Russell Wright Alumni House and Conference Center.
Young succeeds Angèle Stoebener, ’06, who served two terms as chair and will remain on the council. Young previously served as council chair from 2010-12. A native of Coatesville, Young is active in public service, as he is also current president of the Caln Township Board of Commissioners. SRU’s other new officers include Alfonso Angelucci and Alex Momyer, who were appointed vice chair and secretary, respectively.
The officers are elected each year. The chair presides at the meetings, appoints standing committees and shall be an ex-officio member of all committees. The vice chair performs the duties of the chair in the chair’s absence. The secretary records the minutes in addition to other duties.
The council also approved the certification of the order of succession, which is a plan for executive management that is reviewed and updated each year if the president is temporarily unable to fulfill the responsibilities of the position or in the event of a vacancy.
A vote on the proposed meeting dates for the next academic year was tabled and the dates for the next meeting will be determined at a later time.
The business meeting also included SRU President Karen Riley’s quarterly report and a presentation about the industry support for engineering programs by Nicole Dafoe, dean of the College of Engineering and Science. The council also received reports from standing committees, as well as updates about the following topics: contracts, active projects for facilities and planning, human resources personnel items, budget/finance, construction management proposals, and divisional reports.
Four committee meetings were conducted prior to the business meeting, June 4-5.
The Academic and Student Affairs Committee meeting included presentations from the following administrators:
- Michael Zieg, provost and vice president for academic affairs.
- Michael May, vice president for enrollment management.
- Ken Bach, senior director, university marketing and communication.
- David Wilmes, vice president for student affairs.
The Finance and Administrative Affairs Committee meeting included:
- A presentation about facility asset management by Talis Vitols from Gordian (Sightlines).
- A financial update by Carrie Birckbichler, vice president for finance and administration.
- Information items regarding the CliftonLarsonAllen auditing service planning communication, the comprehensive planning process, contracts, purchases, financial reports, facilities and planning projects, human resources personnel items and a divisional report.
The University Advancement Committee meeting included an SRU affiliate work group update and presentations from the following administrators and representatives:
- Troy Miller, vice president for university advancement.
- Tim Richart, senior director of annual giving and alumni engagement.
- Dave Hollenbaugh, executive director of the SRU Foundation, Inc., providing the foundation’s quarterly report.
The Governance Committee meeting included:
- Discussions about a proposal to move to one-day trustees meetings and emeritus policy with council designation.
- Informational items about calendar mentions and trustee bylaws.
More information, including a link to meeting materials, is available on the council of trustees webpage.
