President Blattner Receives Chief Executive Leadership Award From CASE

Caldwell, N.J., Dec. 10, 2014 – Caldwell University President Nancy H. Blattner has been selected to receive the 2015 Chief Executive Leadership Award from The Council for Advancement and Support of Education District II. CASE is a leading international association of educational institutions.

“We are very excited that Dr. Blattner is receiving this much deserved honor,” said Joseph Posillico, vice president of enrollment management and communications.   “The fact that she is being recognized at this level is not a surprise to those of us who work closely with her.  Over the past five years, her energy, commitment, and willingness to take risks have greatly benefited our students, staff, and faculty.”

The award recognizes a CASE District II member institution leader. Nominees for this CASE award must demonstrate the ability to create vision and inspire others; establish a positive image of his/her institution’s stature in the community; and encourage innovations and risk-taking among employees. The nominee also must be known as an active and supportive participant in significant advancement efforts.  The award will be presented at the CASE District II conference in Washington, D.C. on February 2nd at the annual Achievement Awards Luncheon.

Dr. Blattner is the first lay president in the Catholic Dominican university’s history. Her many outstanding activities include leading Caldwell College in the process of becoming Caldwell University, a change in title and status that was the culmination of a two-year process.

She started a very successful Bachelor of Science in Nursing program which has received programmatic accreditation. She oversaw the opening of the state of the art Center for Autism and Applied Behavior Analysis where the university conducts cutting-edge treatment research and where faculty and graduate students serve children, families and individuals on the autism spectrum.

Under Dr. Blattner’s leadership, the traditional undergraduate enrollment of Caldwell has grown by nearly 30 percent, while the resident population on campus has climbed over 40 percent.

The graduate programs in Mental Health Counseling, School Counseling and Mental Health Counseling/ Art Therapy received accreditation from the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), with Mental Health Counseling/Art Therapy being the first program of its type in the nation to receive that prestigious certification.

President Blattner serves on the Board of Directors of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, the NAICU (the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities) Tax Policy Committee, the NCAA Committee on Women in Athletics, the Development Committee for The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi and chairs the Presidents’ Council of the CACC.  Dr. Blattner is also a member of the Council of Fellows for ACE (the American Council on Education) where she has mentored professionals preparing for leadership in higher education, most recently an administrator from the Universidad Popular Autonoma del Estado de Puebla in Mexico.