Lexington, Va. (August 19, 2021) – Jeffrey D. Senese, president of Saint Leo University in Florida, was recently elected to the Board of Trustees for the Omicron Delta Kappa Society and Educational Foundation, Inc. His three-year term as one of the Society’s at-large trustees began on July 1, 2021.
The announcement of the election was made by Tara S. Singer, president and chief executive officer of O∆K. Singer said, “We are excited to have Dr. Senese, a recognized leader in higher education, join our Board of Trustees. He has been a great champion for our collegiate members at Saint Leo, and we are looking forward to him bringing his presidential perspective to our discussions.”
Senese is a 2018 faculty/staff initiate of the Saint Leo University Circle (chapter) of Omicron Delta Kappa. He has served St. Leo as its tenth president since 2018. Senese earned his bachelor’s degree with a major in the administration of justice from the Pennsylvania State University. He went on to earn a Master of Arts with a major in criminology from Indiana State University and a Ph.D. in criminal justice/research methods/statistics from Michigan State University. Senese also completed the Institute for Higher Education Management at Harvard University and the Academic Management Institute at the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems in Boulder, Colorado, as well as the Pennsylvania State University Leadership Academy.
Prior to his appointment at Saint Leo, Senese was the provost at Cardinal Stritch University. He previously held senior academic leadership roles at Mount Ida College, Philadelphia University, Johnson & Wales University, the University of Baltimore, and one of the campuses of the Pennsylvania State University. Senese’s research interests include jail and prison management, juvenile justice waivers, and use of force, along with several other topics. He is a member of the Board of Enterprise Florida, the Global Listening Centre’s Advisory Board, and the Board of Directors of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce and its Executive Committee.
About the appointment, Senese said, “I am honored and pleased to be joining the board of Omicron Delta Kappa. As an organization focused on leadership development and collaboration, I cannot think of another with whom I am more thrilled to help support. Collaboration, inclusivity, integrity, scholarship, and service are values that are so very connected to what we do at Saint Leo University and to my personal ethos as well as important to Omicron Delta Kappa. I look forward to doing all I can to support President Singer and her team in their continued great work with students and faculty.”
Omicron Delta Kappa Society, the National Leadership Honor Society, was founded in Lexington, Virginia, on December 3, 1914. A group of 15 students and faculty members established the Society to recognize and encourage leadership at the collegiate level. The founders established the O∆K Idea—the concept that individuals representing all phases of collegiate life should collaborate with faculty and others to support the campus and community. O∆K’s mission is to honor and develop leaders; encourage collaboration among students, faculty, staff, and alumni; and promote O∆K’s ideals of collaboration, inclusivity, integrity, scholarship, and service on college and university campuses throughout North America. The Society’s national headquarters are located in Lexington, Virginia.
Contact
Tara S. Singer, president and chief executive officer, Omicron Delta Kappa, (540) 458-5340, tara@odk.org
