As vice president for strategic initiatives and chief of staff, I work directly with the president on a wide range of strategic initiatives. I provide leadership in a number of dimensions including university-wide strategy development, community relations, government relations, and provide comprehensive support for the Office of the President and the Board of Trustees.
I represent the interests of the President and University to various internal and external constituencies.
I am a past chair of the Association of Governing Boards (AGB) Board Professionals Leadership Group and serve on AGB’s Council of Board Professionals.
I proudly joined the Widener University community in 2016.
Gallaudet Professor Caroline Kobek Pezzarossi chose Widener for her American Council on Education Fellowship, allowing her to learn from our university while Widener benefits from her unique perspective, particularly on accessibility.
Widener University Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Chief of Staff Katie Herschede, along with Widener alumni Julie Dietrich '18 and Michael Stefan '12, have been named 2024 trailblazers in higher education by City & State Pennsylvania. The list recognizes Pennsylvanians who demonstrate extraordinary commitment to higher education.
Katie Herschede, vice president of strategic initiatives and chief of staff, is named for her contributions to this article discussing the role of board professionals in higher education.
Katie Herschede, vice president of strategic initiatives and chief of staff, authored this article about the AGB's move back to in-person gatherings and the positive impact it had on the organization and attendees.
President Julie E. Wollman, Katie Herschede, vice president for strategic initiatives and chief of staff, and Matthew Hartley, a member of the Board of Trustees, penned this opinion article detailing an innovative scenario planning exercise held with the Board of Trustees. The experience provided a window on pandemic-related decision-making.
This story positions Widener as an innovator in the "flipped-learning" approach to the orientation process for new Board of Trustee members. It reflects interviews with President Julie E. Wollman, alumnus and trustee Domenic Colasante, and Katie Herschede, vice president for strategic initiatives and chief of staff.