John L. Bennett, Ph.D., Appointed Fielding’s Interim President

The following message is from the Chair and Vice Chair of Fielding’s Board of Trustees.

Dear Fielding Community:

On behalf of the Fielding Board of Trustees, we would like to inform you about two important and interrelated decisions made recently by the Board. The first is that the Board has canceled the search for a new permanent President. As a result of discussions at the board meeting, we decided to focus on the academic turnaround proposed by Provost and Senior Vice President Wendi S. Williams, Ph.D., and her leadership team. In addition, we are continuing to explore partnership opportunities. Given that both courses of action demand a continuity of leadership and budgetary focus, we thought that bringing a new President into the institution in this time of change would not be prudent. We may reinitiate the search at a later date, depending on our circumstances.

As such, the Board of Trustees has voted to approve the appointment of Dr. John L. Bennett as President on an interim basis, effective February 1, 2025.  Many of you know John as a scholar-practitioner and change leader. As a Fielding alum (HOD, ’06) and former member of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Bennett brings a deep passion and commitment to the university. As a trustee from 2019 to 2024, he chaired the academic affairs committee, alumni and development committee, and the Reimagination and Reinvention Task Force. He served on the strategy and business development committee.  John will be taking a leave of absence from the Board during his interim service.

For additional information about John’s background, please see his bio below.

In January, John and Katrina will host a town hall meeting via Zoom to introduce John and answer questions from the community. Also, during January, Katrina and John will work together to introduce him to staff, faculty, alum, donors, and others prior to his assuming the interim leadership position on February 1, 2025.

Wishing you all a good week.  Please send any questions you might have to communications@fielding.edu.

Best,

Gary Wagenheim, Ph.D., Chair, Fielding Board of Trustees

Karin Bunnell, Ph.D., Vice Chair, Fielding Board of Trustees

About John L. Bennett, Ph.D., M.P.A.

John Bennett, Ph.D., M.P.A.

John L. Bennett, Ph.D., M.P.A, will begin as president of Fielding Graduate University on an interim basis on February 1, 2025. He is a scholar-practitioner and change leader. As a Fielding alum and former member of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Bennett brings a deep passion and commitment to the university. As a trustee from 2019 to 2024, he chaired the academic affairs committee, alumni and development committee, and the Reimagination and Reinvention Task Force. He served on the strategy and business development committee. Most recently, he co-chaired the university’s presidential search committee.

During the last 20 years, Dr. Bennett was a business and behavioral science professor and Wayland H. Cato, Jr. Chair of Leadership at the McColl School of Business, Queens University of Charlotte. Dr. Bennett also served as communication department chair, graduate programs director, chair and co-chair of various strategic task forces, and curriculum designer and was the founding director of the first master’s degree in executive coaching in North America.

After 18 years with the American Red Cross, he worked in roles as diverse as human services program management, fundraising, and disaster relief services. His last eight years were as CEO of regional biomedical services divisions, where he led a merger and turnaround. In 1997, he founded Lawton Associates, a consulting and executive coaching firm focused on helping individuals, teams, and organizations prepare for, excel through, and improve from change. For 27 years, he has worked with clients in for-profit, not-for-profit, and government organizations. He was a senior practice leader for a global talent management firm and was the CEO of the Foundation of Coaching, a project of the Harnisch Family Foundation.

Dr. Bennett completed his undergraduate education at Mars Hill University, then earned a Master’s in Public Affairs degree from the University of North Carolina Greensboro. He earned a Master of Arts and Ph.D. in human and organizational systems from Fielding Graduate University. He is a member of several academic and professional associations, including the Academy of Management and the American Psychological Association. Dr. Bennett is the author or co-author of numerous articles and five books, including his most recent, The Manager’s Guide to Coaching for Change.

In 2010, Dr. Bennett was named a Charter Fellow in The Lewin Center and a Founding Fellow of the Institute of Coaching affiliated with McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School. In 2023, he was named a Noble Fellow at Queens University of Charlotte. He is a past president of North Carolina Industrial and Organizational Psychology (NCIOP) and the Graduate School Alliance for Educating Coaches (GSAEC). He serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Applied Behavioral Science.