Nora Demleitner became the 25th president of the Annapolis campus in January 2022 and assumed collegewide duties for St. John’s in July 2024. 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.
J. Walter Sterling (A93) became the eighth president of the Santa Fe campus in July 2024. He has been a member of the teaching faculty since 2003 and served nine years as campus dean. Over the course of his career, he has been a staunch defender of St. John’s model of liberal education and has led efforts to make it more accessible to many more students from all walks of life. Sterling holds a BA from St. John’s Annapolis, an MA in philosophy from Emory University, and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame.
Susan “Suzy” Paalman oversees the conduct of the program of instruction in Annapolis. She received her BA in biology and biochemistry from Rice University and her PhD in biophysics and biophysical chemistry from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She has been teaching at St. John’s since 1997 and has previously served as assistant dean and chair of the Hodson Group on readings in biology.
Sarah Davis supervises the program of instruction on the Santa Fe campus. She received her BA in philosophy and anthropology from Harvard University and her PhD in cultural anthropology from Emory University. Prior to joining the faculty in 2012, she held positions at Time magazine in Paris and American Heritage magazine in New York. Davis is the recipient of the Condon Prize for psychological Anthropology as well as the Marjorie Shostak Prize for Excellence and Humanity in Ethnographic Writing.
Brendan Boyle is the associate dean for the graduate program on the Annapolis campus, where he is also a member of the faculty. He holds degrees from Princeton University, Cambridge University and the University of Chicago.
David Carl is the associate dean for graduate programs on the Santa Fe campus. He has been a member of the college’s faculty since 2000, and served as assistant dean from 2008-2010. He holds degrees from Pomona College, Claremont Graduate School, and University of California at Davis.
Profile of Robert Abbott
Assistant Dean for the Undergraduate Program, Annapolis
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 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.
Administrative Leadership
Benjamin Baum
Vice President of Enrollment
Carol Carpenter
Vice President of Communications and Marketing
Phelosha Collaros
Vice President for Board Governance and Strategic Outcomes
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.
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 for Board Governance and Strategic Outcomes
Phelosha Collaros (SF00) holds a key role in the oversight and implementation of the college’s governance structure, ensuring effective communication and policy management with the Board of Visitors and Governors (BVG). Additionally, she is responsible for building strong connections with individuals and organizations who seek educational opportunities and share our passion for lifelong learning. Before joining St. John’s College as the Vice President for Advancement/Development and Alumni Relations, Phelosha was the foundation director for the American Society of Radiologic Technologists. As a Certified Quality Improvement Associate, she holds degrees in business and public administration from Walden University.
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.
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.
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.
