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St. Joe's names first lay president

Philly native Mark Reed will take the reins over the summer.

Mark Reed
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A FORMER Hawk has come home to roost. And he'll be running the nest.

Mark Reed has been named the 28th president of St. Joseph's University, according to a statement released yesterday.

Reed, 41, a Philadelphia native and alumnus of St. Joseph's Preparatory School, is the first lay president in the school's history. He will succeed C. Kevin Gillespie, who will step down at the end of the current semester, the university said.

"Dr. Reed's lifelong commitment to Jesuit values and mission, and his outstanding record as a leader in Catholic higher education, make him the perfect choice to lead St. Joseph's into the future," said Edward W. Moneypenny, chairman of St. Joe's board of trustees.

In Reed's current position as senior vice president for administration and chief of staff at Fairfield University, where he earned his bachelor's degree, he's a top adviser to its president, and also serves as an adjunct math professor, according to the Connecticut school's website.

His historic appointment at the Jesuit-run university follows a trend in the city: La Salle University named its first lay president, Colleen M. Hanycz, in February.