St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary Elects Four Trustees – Metropolitan Joseph Is Vice Chairman

December 2014

At its annual meeting November 13–14, 2014, the Board of Trustees of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary Dn. Michael Hyattelected four new members, among them His Eminence Joseph, who was recently enthroned as Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of All North America of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America (AOCANA). His Eminence will serve as Vice Chairman of the Board, and in recognition of his new position, he was recently presented with an icon of the Great and Holy Prince Vladimir by the seminary’s Dean, The Very Rev. Dr. John Behr, and Chancellor/CEO, The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield.

Other new Trustees include Dn. Michael Hyatt, Theodore Jadick, and James T. Perry. Deacon Michael, former Chairman and CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, is now a best-selling author and leadership consultant, and Chairman of the Board of Ancient Faith Ministries. He is a parishioner at St. Ignatius Church, Franklin, TN (AOCANA). Mr. Jadick is Vice Chairman at Heidrick & Struggles, New York City, and Board Director of Calvary Hospital Fund, Bronx, NY. He is a parishioner at Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church, Yonkers, NY (Orthodox Church in America). Mr. Perry is an attorney in private practice, and also a parishioner at Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, Yonkers. The term for each new Trustee will be three years, with the possibility of serving four consecutive terms, according to the new By-laws adopted by the Board at their November meeting.Theodore Jadick

Additionally at its meeting, the Board honored retiring Trustees Ivan Rudolph-Shabinsky, Eric Namee, and Leon J. Lysaght, Jr., by presenting them each with a gramota and icon of the Great and Holy Prince Vladimir. Mr. Rudolph-Shabinsky, who James Perryserved on the Board from 2000 to 2014, is a Portfolio Manager at AllianceBernstein, New York City. Mr. Namee is an attorney at Hinkle Law Firm, LLC, Wichita, KS, and he had served on the Board since 1994. Professor Lysaght is Associate Professor of Law at University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, Detroit, MI, and his Board membership was from 1997 to 2014.

Father John Behr acknowledged the enormous sacrifice and deep commitment of the retiring Trustees, saying, “Those departing from the Board have, over their many decades of service, given so much to the Seminary, guiding us and helping us grow in many ways, especially with the development of our statutes and administrative structures. We are where we are today only through their self-sacrificial leadership.”

In commenting on the Board’s history, Fr. Chad Hatfield said, “St. Vladimir’s took an early lead in board development and continuing education when in the ’80s the Lilly Endowment, Inc., awarded our school a generous grant of $30,000 to begin an ambitious program of board self-study and renewal, with our Trustees attending six seminars on diverse aspects of trusteeship.

“In the ’90s, Lilly continued its support, underwriting continuing education programs for board members and extending the benefit of trustee development and institutional advancement to nine other North American Orthodox Christian seminaries, using St. Vladimir’s as a model and designating it as a ‘Lilly Trustee Partnership Institution.’

“We are ever grateful to our committed and highly qualified board members, who make certain our school’s stability and define and ensure its mission.”

View a complete listing of the Board of Trustees of St. Vladimir’s Seminary.

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