When Dr. William “Bill” Brownsberger arrived at Saint Martin’s University in Lacey to serve as its 12th president beginning July 1, 2024, he brought key leadership skills from his more than two decades of college teaching and administrative roles. Those assets are guiding his vision for the future of the campus, the community and especially the students.
“I spent the first half of my career in the classroom at an institution very similar to Saint Martin’s – a close-knit, Catholic, liberal arts institution with strong professional programs. So, that background will greatly inform how I approach my current role,” Brownsberger says.
While his presidential to-do list is long, Brownsberger is grounded by the University’s student-centered calling. “There is a lot that needs to happen in administration, but my focus is always on teaching and the daily interaction with students,” he says. “Many of them arrive young and in need of growth, but they leave here as poised, mature persons ready to lead in the community. In the short time I’ve been here, I’ve seen a lot of our alumni out in the community making a difference.”
Brownsberger’s Higher Education Leadership Harmonizes with Saint Martin’s University in Lacey
The Board of Trustees unanimously selected Brownsberger following a competitive nationwide search with a mission to find a president to guide the University toward greater financial stability and academic distinction, offering strategic foresight and a commitment to transparent servant leadership.
Brownsberger’s 23 years of faculty and administrative experience at Catholic higher education institutions fits the bill of those requirements, making him the ideal leader for the University’s future. In Virginia, Brownsberger was vice president of academic affairs and workforce solutions at Mountain Empire Community College, where he built workforce development pathways, managed division finances and engaged with students and stakeholders in the institution’s academic affairs. In Texas, he served as the College of Arts and Sciences dean at Our Lady of the Lake University, where he led fundraising, faculty workloads and scheduling, and budget management.
Brownsberger earned his Doctor of Sacred Theology degree and Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, a Master of Arts in Theology from The Catholic University of America, and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Dallas. His long history with Catholic universities – as a faculty member, as an administrator and as a student – means that he comes to Saint Martin’s with insights into the experiences of the three communities comprising the University, priming him to be a leader for all.
Brownsberger’s Leadership Vision Acknowledges Challenges and Will Catalyze Saint Martin’s Mission
The campus is calling upon Brownsberger’s leadership as it weathers significant challenges that he says will require different solutions. “But there’s a positive way to look at this: problems often prove to be catalysts for needed change,” he says.
“They force you to stop, take stock and ask important questions: who are we as an institution?” he explains. “What do we need to do to grow into our full stature? And so, this becomes a question about mission. What is our mission and what exactly do we want to achieve? Getting at those broad questions is foundational in resolving particular issues. Starting new programs, increasing enrollment, gaining the support of the community for financial stability—all of these need to be pursued in the light of our institutional mission.”
And there’s more. “I would like to see Saint Martin’s grow in profile as a Catholic, liberal arts university that is recognized well outside of the Pacific Northwest,” he says. “At the same time, I think that we can strengthen our local ties in terms of the workforce and professional needs of our region. For example, Washington is not alone in facing a lack of healthcare workers, but the nursing shortage will hit our state harder than most. Saint Martin’s needs to skate ahead of the puck in addressing local needs.”
Saint Martin’s New President Brownsberger Recognizes Strong Partnership Between Lacey, the University and the Community
As a new leader in Lacey, Brownsberger recognizes the strong partnership between the university and community. “I’m proud of our nursing clinical placements, our internships with local businesses and sites on campus that serve as our welcome mat to the community. I’m thinking of the Lacey MakerSpace here,” he explains. “I don’t get the sense that Saint Martin’s has ever been an aloof, ivory-tower institution. We’re here because of our local community and for our local community. And I want to send out into that community careful thinkers, articulate communicators and capable professionals who have been formed by Catholic, Benedictine values.”
He says the community has also been “warm and welcoming” to his spouse Francesca and seven children. “My family is definitely the best part of me,” he says.
“We really enjoy being outside, so hiking and going to beach have been fantastic for us,” he adds. “True or not, I was told before we moved here that people don’t really swim in Puget Sound without a wetsuit, but we seem to break that rule a few times a week.”
Visit the Saint Martin’s University website to learn more about the university’s leadership in the community.
Saint Martin’s University
5000 Abbey Way SE, Lacey
360.491.4700
Sponsored
