Mercy College of Health Sciences Announces New President
Des Moines, Iowa (February 23, 2018) – Mercy College of Health Sciences Board of Directors has named Douglas J. Fiore, Ph.D., to serve as the College’s next president. Fiore will succeed Barbara Quijano Decker, J.D., who announced her retirement in August 2017 after 12 years of leading Mercy College. Fiore will be working with President Decker in a period of onboarding to enable a seamless transition. Effective June 10, 2018, Fiore will begin his new role as President of the College.
Fiore’s selection followed an extensive, national search conducted by Greenwood/Asher & Associates, Inc., a national higher education executive search firm which provided support to the President’s Campus Search Committee.
"After thoughtful succession planning and a national search process, the board is pleased to have selected Dr. Fiore to lead Mercy College moving forward," said Glenn Lyons, Chairman of the Board of Directors and co-chair of the search committee. "Dr. Fiore brings with him many years of higher education experience and joins us ready to accelerate Mercy College’s position as a national leader for excellence in the delivery and innovation of health sciences education.”
“I am honored and grateful for the opportunity to lead an organization whose rich history and institutional mission and vision play such an important role in the Des Moines community,” said Fiore. “I look forward to working with the College’s talented students, faculty, and staff as well as its dedicated alumni, parents, and community partners.”
Fiore earned his Doctor of Philosophy degree in educational administration from Indiana State University, Master of Science in education from Purdue University and a Bachelor of Arts in education and speech arts and sciences from Hofstra University. Throughout his career he held leadership roles at several higher education institutions and in the public K-12 school system. Most recently, he served as the provost and vice president for academic affairs at Park University.
Fiore is recognized for his consulting work in areas relating to developing culture, collaborations, partnerships and faculty recruitment and retention. He has authored or co-authored eight books for school administrators and frequently contributes to numerous publications and conferences, both nationally and internationally. He serves on several professional boards and committees including the American Educational Research Association, the Association for the Advancement of Educational Research, and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. In 2012, Fiore was a Fellow with the American Council on Education.
About Mercy College of Health Sciences
Mercy College is the only Catholic college in central Iowa and is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission (HLC). To learn more about all of our health science academic programs, visit mchs.edu/academics. Watch a few stories online that capture the essence of a Mercy College student.