The Mount Aloysius College Board of Trustees announced today that John N. McKeegan, J.D. will serve as the College’s 15th president. Mr. McKeegan is Vice President for Institutional Advancement and General Counsel at Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon, and has held leadership positions there since 2010.
McKeegan will begin his presidency on June 1, 2020, following the retirement of Dr. John W. Mills who has served Mount Aloysius College for the past three years, following a distinguished career in higher education.
“John McKeegan is a proven leader and he received a unanimous vote from our Board of Trustees,” said Mr. Richard Rose, chairperson of the Mount Aloysius College Board of Trustees. “He is an innovator and a collaborator, and his skills position this institution for success for years to come. We are absolutely thrilled to welcome him and his family to Mount Aloysius College.”
A search committee composed of both trustees and members of the faculty and staff was formed in fall 2019. Neutral site interviews were conducted in February 2020, and three finalists were invited to campus for full day interviews with trustees, administration, faculty, staff, and students.
Born and raised in Pennsylvania, McKeegan is excited about both the new role and the homecoming. “This area and the Sisters of Mercy played a major role in my life and in the lives of my ancestors,” said McKeegan. “As soon as I saw the open position, I felt a real sense of calling. My wife, Theresa, and I are deeply honored to continue Mount Aloysius’ emphasis on mission-driven education, service to the global community, and the life-changing power of quality programs of education in the Catholic, Judeo-Christian tradition.”
Due to the statewide shutdown and the college’s current remote operations, Mr. McKeegan will hold a series of virtual introductions and town hall sessions in coordination with the board and current president Dr. John W. Mills prior to his arrival on campus.
During his time at Linfield College, McKeegan coordinated fundraising activities, handled communications to internal and external constituencies, and led alumni, parent and community engagement. Linfield recently announced the largest gift in its history, a $10M campaign commitment. McKeegan joined Linfield in 2010 as advisor to the president and general counsel and was named a vice president in 2013. Prior to that he practiced law at Haugeberg, Reuter, Gowell, Fredricks, Higgins & McKeegan, P.C. for 11 years and at Shockman & McKeegan, P.C. for seven years.
McKeegan began his legal career in Arizona before moving to McMinnville in 1998. He and his wife are volunteers with a number of community organizations.
McKeegan earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with Honors in English from Bucknell University, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Notre Dame. He attended the Harvard University Graduate School of Education Institute for Educational Management in 2016 and was a presenter at The Council of Independent Colleges’ Chief Academic Officer Institute in 2019.
