Skip to Content
/ Articles / Education /

Alvernia announces new president after national search

from Alvernia University

Dec 11, 2018
John Loyack

Loyack blends higher education and corporate experience.

The Alvernia University Board of Trustees has unanimously appointed John Loyack as the next president to advance the mission of the 60-year-old Franciscan Catholic institution. Loyack is currently executive vice president for business and administration at King’s College in Wilkes-Barre and a board member of AMCON Distributing Company in Omaha, Nebraska. He will assume the presidency at Alvernia on July 1, 2019.

“John is a seasoned leader and strategic thinker with a proven track record of taking highly complex organizations to the next level,” said Michael Fromm, chairman of the Alvernia Board of Trustees and CEO of Fromm Electric Supply. “His unique blend of higher education and corporate experience makes him the right choice for Alvernia at this time,” he added.

At King’s College, Loyack is known for his skills in team building, financial management, community engagement and an intense focus on student success. His efforts have led to program expansion and revenue growth at King’s.

“I look forward to continuing the success and growth of Alvernia and ensuring that this institution is well positioned to deliver its transformational mission to students for generations to come. My desire is to cultivate the impact Alvernia has on its students and alumni, faculty and staff, this community, this region and beyond,” said Loyack.

“It was clear early on that John was a very strong candidate. He not only possesses higher education experience at the executive level, but also has spent decades leading multiple companies in the energy, transportation and manufacturing sectors,” said Ellen Huyett, co-chair of the Presidential Search Committee.

Prior to his tenure at King’s, Loyack served as president and chief executive officer of Optim Energy/EnergyCo in Irving, Texas. In addition to earning an MBA from Lehigh University and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from King’s College, the Pennsylvania native is a certified public accountant with a long history of building relationships in the community. He serves on the boards of directors for Northeast Pennsylvania Education Consortium, Luzerne County Industrial Development Authority, The Luzerne Foundation, The Educational Opportunity Centers of Pennsylvania and Riverfront Parks Committee of Wilkes-Barre.

Loyack will follow Tom Flynn who announced in May that he would step down in June 2019 after serving a 14-year tenure. “I want to express my deepest gratitude to Tom for his transformational leadership in guiding Alvernia from a little-known college to a nationally recognized comprehensive university. Tom and John are working closely together to ensure a seamless leadership transition,” said Fromm.

We need your support!

Your contribution makes community media possible.

A donation of any size to your nonprofit media organization supports the future of media access in our community - the things you love, and the places you care about, by the people you know.

Live Streaming