Six say 'yes'

The University officially welcomed six new members to its board of trustees during an installation ceremony Oct. 16.

Five of the six new board members — Nancee Berger, John Foy ’89, William Klesse ’68, Michelle Mathile ’15, Deborah Tobias ’73 and Brother Edward Violett, S.M. — attended the installation in Sears Recital Hall. Each wore a red ceremonial robe, and a blue academic hood emblazoned with the University seal was placed on their shoulders as a part of the ceremony.

During the ceremony, Mary Boosalis, president and CEO of Premier Health, was installed as the board’s new chairperson. Boosalis, whose term began in August, is the first woman to lead the board of trustees in the University’s history.

The annual installation takes place each fall when the full board visits campus for a week of meetings and other events. The installation also includes the opportunity for the campus community to interact with board members and learn more about their commitment to serve the University.

The University's Catholic, Marianist tradition echoed in the formal commitments made by new and current board members, as well as in the new members' individual mission statements, and the speakers' remarks.  

“Thank you for saying ‘yes,’” said Leslie Picca, a professor in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work, and the Roesch Chair in the Social Sciences. “Each of you brings a special relationship to the University of Dayton, as alumni, as parents of Flyers, or as vowed religious Marianists. You may not exactly know what you are saying ‘yes’ to, and there may be times when you question your ‘yes.’ This is the Marianist spirit to say yes, even in the face of uncertainty, fear and self-doubt.”

UD graduate Tobias spoke on behalf of the new trustees in her address, describing the support she felt from the day she received her admission letter as a high school student through the evolution of her academic and career interests during her four undergraduate years. She told the audience she wanted current and future UD students to have the same transformative experience, which is why she agreed to join the board.  

“I said 'yes' because UD always said 'yes' to me,” Tobias said.