President-Elect Named 2013

On November 11, 2013, the Saint Francis University Board of Trustees elected Rev. Malachi Van Tassell, T.O.R. to assume the office of president of Saint Francis University. His term will begin after Rev. Gabriel Zeis, T.O.R. concludes his tenure at the end of the academic year 2013-2014.

Father Malachi is the son of Fred and Barbara Van Tassell and a native of Poughkeepsie, NY. He is the oldest of five children and has nine nieces and nephews. He professed vows as a Franciscan in 1999 and was ordained to the priesthood in 2004 at the Immaculate Conception Chapel at Saint Francis University.

Father Malachi has a Ph.D. in higher education leadership from Capella University, a master's degree in taxation from Arizona State University, and an undergraduate degree in accounting and Spanish from Franciscan University. A certified public accountant (Arizona), he worked for Coopers & Lybrand in Phoenix, AZ and Arthur Andersen in Albuquerque, NM as a tax accountant prior to becoming a Franciscan.

Father Malachi's doctoral dissertation was on the subject of servant leadership. He has had two book reviews appear in the Journal of the American Taxation Association. He has served on various academic committees at Saint Francis University over the years, including service as the NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative and co-chair of the University's Day of Reflection committee.

He currently serves as the Provincial Econome (Treasurer) and Vicar Provincial of the Franciscan Friars, Sacred Heart Province. Father is an adjunct assistant professor of accounting at Saint Francis, where he has taught for 11 years. Concurrently, Father Malachi was deputy fire chief and chaplain of the Loretto Volunteer Fire Company for 10 ½ years. He is a trustee of Franciscan University of Steubenville, and vice president of the Foundation Maria Enthroned, Franciscan University's Austrian campus.

On January 6, 2014, an official announcement of Fr. Malachi's election will be released.

The University community welcomes Fr. Malachi Van Tassell, T.O.R. as president-elect and commits itself to supporting him in this time of transition, especially through its best wishes and prayers.