College Leadership

President, Albright College

With more than 40 years of higher education experience, Debra M. Townsley, Ph.D. has filled the roles of president, interim president, academic dean, department chair, and business professor at institutions in five states. Specializing in identifying and implementing a strategic vision and plan for long-term institutional success, she is a transformational leader with experience in controlling spending while increasing enrollment and fundraising.

In addition to authoring books and articles, she has lectured on topics that include the state and future of higher education, external factors facing higher education and college presidents, and conducting a turnaround.

During her five years as president of William Peace University (Raleigh, North Carolina), the university became co-educational and financially sound. She served as president of Nichols College (Dudley, Massachusetts) for a dozen years prior to William Peace, where she conducted two comprehensive campaigns, raising a total of $28 million. One campaign was the largest in the school’s history, and both exceeded goals by more than $2 million.

She has since created strategic plans and improved operations, systems and financials as president of Wheeling Jesuit University (Wheeling, W.Va.) and Laboure College (Milton, Massachusetts).

Townsley’s business career began with IBM and Booz, Allen & Hamilton before making the switch to teaching at Marymount University (Arlington, Virginia). Three years later, she was named assistant professor and chair of Northern Virginia Community College’s Accounting and Data Processing departments, and assistant professor of business. She also served as director of undergraduate and graduate management studies at St. Michael’s College (Colchester, Vermont).