Announcing New Role for David Howse

Dear members of the Emerson community,

At my request last year, David C. Howse, Vice President for the Office of the Arts, Executive Director of ArtsEmerson, and Stephen G. Langley Chair, agreed to support our College by also taking on the role of Vice President for Institutional Advancement. We are all grateful for his outstanding service in this additional appointment, and I am excited to share news about his expanding role at the College.

With the full support of Dr. Jay Bernhardt, Emerson’s President Designate, I am delighted to announce that David has agreed to serve as Special Advisor to the President for Strategy and the Arts, in addition to continuing in his primary role as Vice President of the Office of the Arts and Executive Director of ArtsEmerson. In this new role, David will serve as a strategic advisor to Dr. Bernhardt, helping to shape Emerson’s strategic planning and vision, with a particular focus on the College’s artistic and creative priorities, and working collaboratively across Emerson’s professional, academic and neighboring communities. David will assume his new role this summer in alignment with Dr. Bernhardt’s arrival. I thank David for continuing his work with Institutional Advancement until a new Vice President is appointed.  A national search will be launched shortly.

Dr. Bernhardt said, “David’s leadership of Institutional Advancement during the past several months, in addition to his ongoing oversight of the Office of the Arts and ArtsEmerson, demonstrates his outstanding dedication to the College. I am deeply grateful for his service and look forward to working closely with him in this new capacity.”

David states, “When President Gilligan asked me to take on the additional role of Vice President of Institutional Advancement, I was honored and humbled, and I am grateful to him, my colleagues, and especially the teams in Institutional Advancement and the Office of the Arts for their dedicated support over the past several months. I am thrilled to be able to work closely with Dr. Bernhardt in this new role and to fully return to my responsibilities in the Office of the Arts this summer. I look forward to using the arts to contribute to the College’s continuous dedication to innovation, creativity, and social justice.”

David has been a vital and passionate member of the College’s leadership team since he joined Emerson in 2015. His insight and continuing leadership are critical for the College’s future success.

Please join me in extending our deepest gratitude to David for his tireless work leading our IA division over the last several months and our congratulations on his new appointment.

Sincerely,

William Gilligan
Interim President