St. John’s College Leadership

The St. John’s leadership team includes presidents, deans, and senior administrators from the Annapolis and Santa Fe campuses, working together to serve the interests of the college as a whole. The college cabinet, led by President Mark Roosevelt, oversees collegewide administrative affairs, complementing the work of the faculty Instructional Committees and several campus-specific management committees. Mark Roosevelt, as collegewide president and president of the Santa Fe campus, reports to the Board of Visitors and Governors, as does Annapolis President Nora Demleitner. College leaders report to Roosevelt while also serving campus-specific needs.

Presidents

    • Mark Roosevelt

      President, Santa Fe

    • Nora Demleitner

      President, Annapolis

Academic Leadership

    • Joseph Macfarland

      Dean of the College, Annapolis

    • J. Walter Sterling

      Dean of the College, Santa Fe

    • Emily Langston

      Associate Dean for the Graduate Program, Annapolis

    • Edward Walpin

      Associate Dean for Graduate Programs, Santa Fe

    • Robert Abbott

      Assistant Dean for the Undergraduate Program, Annapolis

    • Maggie McGuinness

      Assistant Dean for the Undergraduate Program, Santa Fe

Administrative Leadership

    • Benjamin Baum

      Vice President of Enrollment

    • Kelly Brown

      Vice President of Advancement, Campaign Director

    • Carol Carpenter

      Vice President of Communications and Creative Strategy

    • Phelosha Collaros

      Vice President of Development and Alumni Relations

    • Ally Gontang-Highfield

      Vice President of Finance and Operations/CFO

    • Danielle Lico

      Vice President of Student Affairs

    • Christine Guevara

      Vice President of Student Engagement

College Leadership

Profile of   Mark Roosevelt

President, Santa Fe

Mark Roosevelt

About

505-984-6098 | santafe.president(at)sjc.edu

Mark Roosevelt became the seventh president of the Santa Fe campus in January 2016 and assumed collegewide duties for St. John’s in July 2016. He brings a history of accomplishing daunting tasks and a lifelong commitment to educational quality and equity. He earned his undergraduate and law degrees at Harvard University.

Profile of   Nora Demleitner

President, Annapolis

Nora Demleitner

About

410-626-2510 | annapolispresidentsoffice(at)sjc.edu

Nora Demleitner became the 25th president of the Annapolis campus in January 2022. An expert on criminal justice issues, including sentencing guidelines, she was dean of the law schools at Washington & Lee and Hofstra University before bringing her ample experience in academic and institutional leadership to the college. She received her BA from Bates College, her JD from Yale, and her LLM from Georgetown in international and comparative law.

Profile of   Joseph Macfarland

Dean of the College
Annapolis

Joseph Macfarland

About

410-626-2511 | joseph.macfarland(at)sjc.edu

Joe Macfarland (A87) oversees the conduct of the program of instruction in Annapolis. He received his doctorate from the Committee on Social Thought at the University of Chicago, and he was a Fulbright scholar in Bologna, Italy, studying medieval political theory. He has been teaching at St. John’s since 1998.

Profile of   J. Walter Sterling

Dean of the College
Santa Fe

J. Walter Sterling

About

505-984-6070 | santafe.deansoffice(at)sjc.edu

J. Walter Sterling (A93) supervises the program of instruction on the Santa Fe campus. He holds an MA in philosophy, from Emory University, and an MBA, from the University of Notre Dame. He joined the faculty in 2003, after working in adult education at Project HOME in Philadelphia. He previously taught at Loyola University Maryland, Temple University, and Gwynedd-Mercy College.

Profile of   Emily Langston

Associate Dean for the Graduate Program
Annapolis

Emily Langston

About

410-626-2542 | emily.langston(at)sjc.edu

Emily Langston is the associate dean for the graduate program on the Annapolis campus, where she is also a member of the faculty. She holds degrees from Emory University, Oxford University, and the University of Chicago.

Profile of   Edward Walpin

Associate Dean for Graduate Programs
Santa Fe

Edward Walpin

About

505-984-6050 | edward.walpin(at)sjc.edu

Edward Walpin is the associate dean for graduate programs on the Santa Fe campus. He has been a member of the college’s faculty for 21 years. He previously has served as assistant dean, interim dean, and collegewide executive director of enrollment management. He holds degrees from Middlebury College and Duke University.

Profile of  Robert Abbott

Assistant Dean for the Undergraduate Program
Annapolis

Robert Abbott

About

410-626-2512 | robert.abbott(at)sjc.edu

Robert Abbott (A04) oversees the college’s support for students: academic resources, public safety, housing, athletics, and student life, among other areas. He has been teaching at St. John’s since 2013.

Profile of  Maggie McGuinness

Assistant Dean for the Undergraduate Program
Santa Fe

Maggie McGuinness

About

505-984-6174 | meagan.mcguinness(at)sjc.edu

Maggie McGuinness oversees the college’s support for students in academics, health and safety, housing, and student activities, among other areas. She has a bachelor’s degree from Western Washington University, master’s from Texas State University, and a PhD in American literature/poetics from University of Oregon. She has been teaching at St. John’s since 2015.

Profile of   Ben Baum

Vice President of Enrollment

Ben Baum

About

410-626-2523 | benjamin.baum(at)sjc.edu

Benjamin Baum joined the college as director of admissions in Annapolis in 2015 and was promoted to vice president of enrollment in 2018. He oversees admissions and financial aid on both campuses. He holds a BA from Amherst College, MSt from the University of Oxford, and JD from the University of Michigan.

Profile of   Kelly Brown

Vice President of Advancement, Campaign Director

Kelly Brown

About

443-482-6575 | kelly.brown(at)sjc.edu

Kelly Brown oversees the college’s development efforts, including the Freeing Minds campaign. She joined St. John’s in 2018, following the initial public launch of Freeing Minds; in that time, support for the campaign has risen from approximately $130 million to more than $215 million under her leadership. She previously held senior positions at the University of Maryland, Johns Hopkins University, and, most recently, Trinity Washington University. Kelly holds a BA from Johns Hopkins University.

Profile of   Carol Carpenter

Vice President of Communications and Creative Strategy

Carol Carpenter

About

505-984-6102 | 323-459-4661 (cell) | carol.carpenter(at)sjc.edu

Carol Carpenter oversees communications and creative strategy collegewide. Carpenter came to St. John’s from New York City Outward Bound, where she was the communications director and an annual giving officer. Previously, she worked for many years in advertising and publishing at Paramount Pictures in Los Angeles. A native New Mexican, she holds a creative writing degree from College of Santa Fe and a master’s degree in dramatic writing from the University of Southern California.

Profile of   Phelosha Collaros

Vice President of Development and Alumni Relations

Phelosha Collaros

About

505-984-6109 | phelosha.collaros(at)sjc.edu

Phelosha Collaros (SF00) oversees alumni relations, annual giving and advancement services collegewide, and community events and outreach for the Santa Fe campus. She was previously foundation director for the American Society of Radiologic Technologists. A Certified Quality Improvement Associate, she holds degrees in business and public administration from Walden University.

Profile of   Ally Gontang-Highfield

Vice President of Finance and Operations/CFO

Ally Gontang-Highfield

About

410-626-2514 | ally.gontang(at)sjc.edu

Ally Gontang-Highfield oversees collegewide functions for finance, IT services, human resources, facilities, and operations. With more than 20 years of leadership experience, she has managed financial and administrative functions for nonprofit and higher education institutions in Maryland and Washington, DC. She joined the college in 2017 as the Treasurer in Annapolis and was appointed Vice President of Finance and Operations/CFO in 2023.

Profile of   Danielle Lico

Vice President of Student Affairs

Danielle Lico

About

danielle.lico(at)sjc.edu

Danielle Lico joined the Annapolis campus as executive director of campus health and wellness in October of 2018 and was promoted to Vice President of Student Affairs in March 2023. In her role, she oversees residence life, public safety, student conduct and community standards, new student orientation, parent and family engagement, the Student Health and Wellness Center, Title IX, and ADA compliance. She holds a BA from the George Washington University in Psychology and an MA from the George Washington University in Sociology. Specific areas of interest include college student wellness, addiction and recovery, and suicide prevention.

Profile of   Christine Guevara

Vice President of Student Engagement

Christine Guevara

About

505-984-6128 | christine.guevara(at)sjc.edu

Christine Guevara joined the Santa Fe campus as executive director of campus health and wellness in August of 2018. She oversees student life, public safety, food service, health services, therapy services, student activities center, outdoor program, ADA, Title IX and F1 international support. She holds a BA from the College of Santa Fe in Humanities, MA from the College of Santa Fe in Educational Leadership and Ed.D from the University of Liverpool in Higher Education Leadership.