Campus Compact Elects Three New Board Members to Lead Civic Engagement Efforts

Leaders from the higher education and business sectors will help guide 1,100-member coalition of college and university presidents dedicated to civic engagement.

Providence, RI — Three leaders in the higher education and financial services communities have been elected to Campus Compact’s national Board of Directors. The Board guides the organization in implementing its mission of deepening higher education’s ability to improve community life and educate students for civic and social responsibility.

The three new Board members are Dr. James B. Dworkin, Chancellor of Purdue University North Central; Dr. James T. Harris III, President of Widener University; and David L. Giunta, President and Chief Executive Officer of Natixis Global Associates — U.S. They join a distinguished group of leaders from across the country representing all segments of higher education as well as the philanthropic and business communities. Their terms will begin on July 1.

“We are thrilled to have these three dedicated leaders join our Board,” notes Campus Compact president Maureen F. Curley. “All have strong backgrounds not only in leading organizations but also in creating sustainable structures for strengthening communities. Their commitment and experience will allow them to bring both inspiration and practical knowledge to the table.”

Chancellor Dworkin of Purdue North Central University has been a member of the Presidents and Chancellors Board of Indiana Campus Compact (INCC), one of 33 state Campus Compact offices, since 2000 and will be Board Chair of INCC beginning in July. He is also a member of the INCC Fund Development Committee of the Board and is an active participant in the organization’s events and programs. In recognition of his leadership, INCC recently awarded a three-year grant to Purdue North Central to develop a service-learning and civic engagement infrastructure.

“Campus Compact has led the way in establishing service-learning as a way of life on university campuses,” says Dworkin. “Through service-learning, students experience the positive aspects of helping others and hone their organizational, leadership, and communication skills. Our students welcome the opportunity to be involved in their communities. Our communities have come to see students as a vital part of their community, too.”

President Harris took the helm at Widener University in 2002 after eight years as president of Defiance College. At Widener, Harris is a strong advocate for civic engagement, and frequently works alongside students on community service projects and participates in the university’s alternative spring break. In 2007, Washington Monthly magazine named Widener as one of the top 50 universities that do the most for our nation.

A long-time member of Campus Compact, Harris is past chair of Pennsylvania Campus Compact and currently serves on the board of directors. He was also a member of the Ohio Campus Compact while at Defiance College. In addition, he is on the board of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, and serves on the President’s Council for Project Pericles. Recognition for his public work includes being named one of the top 50 character building university presidents in the United States by the John Templeton Foundation.

David L. Giunta is President and Chief Executive Officer of Natixis Global Associates — U.S., where he oversees business activities of the firm’s U.S.-based asset management affiliates. Giunta has wide experience in financial services and philanthropy. Before joining Natixis, he was president of the Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund, a donor-advised fund and one of the largest public charities in the United States. Giunta also headed Fidelity Charitable Services, a leading provider of administrative and other services to charitable organizations such as private foundations and donor-advised funds, including the Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund.

Giunta joined Fidelity in 1994 as vice president for the Fidelity Personal Investments and Brokerage Group. Later he served as senior vice president in charge of Fidelity’s Eastern Region Investor Centers, director of Fidelity’s Private Wealth Management Products & Services Group, and senior vice president of the Fidelity Managed Money Group for Personal Investments.

Campus Compact

An independent, nonprofit higher education association, Campus Compact is a national coalition of more than 1,100 college and university presidents—representing some 6 million students—who are committed to fulfilling the civic purposes of higher education. As the only national association dedicated to this mission, Campus Compact is a leader in building civic engagement into campus and academic life. For more information, visit /.