MY FAVORITES In her frst interview with Mercyhurst Magazine, President Kathleen A. Getz made it clear that she intends to be a relatable leader by being herself, living an authentic life, forging positive interactions, and inspiring others to do their best. “I don’t just want to be the president; I want to be a human being.” In deference to that wish, President Getz agreed to share some of her MUSIC: Everything but rap and hip hop; rock ‘n’ roll is my go-to. I play instrumentals when I’m working because if there are words, I start to sing along. I’m learning to play the mandolin and have become enamored with bluegrass. I often say, “Alexa, play world music,” and I get African, Japanese, Indian … I think it is part of what makes a full human being. HOBBY: Walking; also enjoy playing the piano and gardening. COKE or PEPSI: Oh, Coke! favorite things: FOOD: Ice cream WINE or BEER: Wine TRIP: Southern Spain, particularly Andalusia ERIE EXCURSION: Presque Isle. I remember it with such fondness; my husband and I were sailors when we lived in Erie. And I love to swim in the lake. BUCKET-LIST TRIP: Hungary. My husband’s heritage is Hungarian and I have a friend who lived there for 10 years after the fall of communism. I’ve heard so many wonderful things about Budapest. I really want to go. BOOK: Thrillers, such as those by Robert Ludlum
University of Pittsburgh. She is quite familiar with Erie, where she and her husband, Gary, lived for several years. She worked as an assistant manager and retail lending ofcer at Mellon Bank from 1981 to 1986. She was also a member of the St. Patrick Parish Choir and volunteered at St. Patrick’s Haven, a homeless shelter, from 1989 to 1990. The Getzes have taken up residence at the Kern House on upper State Street, marking the frst time the recently acquired presidential residence has been used to house a Mercyhurst president. They are the parents of one adult son, Dietrich, who lives in Lynchburg, Virginia, with his wife, Dr. Christen Laughorn. Getz’s selection was the result of an extensive search conducted over fve months by an 18-member committee under the leadership of then-interim President NeCastro and co-chaired by Trustees Stephen J. Fiedler and B. Scott Kern. The committee included representation from the Sisters of Mercy, Trustees, alumni, students, faculty, and staf, with guidance from nationally recognized search frm RH Perry & Associates. Getz succeeds Michael T. Victor, who served as university president from 2015 until early 2021.
Values, even those that may seem old-fashioned by today’s standards, have a special place in Getz’s life, starting with those instilled by her parents, Frank and Vivian Eck, and the home they built with their fve daughters in Nisbet, Pennsylvania. They were all frst-generation college students, encouraged by their parents to get an education “in case you ever have to work,” Getz remembered with a chuckle. They all went on to successful careers, from teachers, to vice president of a children’s hospital, to, now, a university president. Getz said the success she has enjoyed throughout life is “grounded in the love and support of family and friends, as well as lots of optimism and persistence.” Calling herself “a sunny-side up, glass is half-full kind of person,” she keeps this quote by Robert Brault always close at hand: “Optimist: Someone who fgures that taking a step backward after taking a step forward is not a disaster; it’s a Cha-Cha.” As much as Getz looks to strengthening the university’s profle, she envisions an even bigger picture. Her previous university work involved participation in broader community issues. For example, she was actively engaged in the Results Baltimore Impact Network, a group of 150 Baltimore-area leaders committed to developing and implementing an efective response to Baltimore’s social and economic challenges. “As Mercyhurst approaches her Centennial, our work will focus on building the foundations of prosperity and justice across the greater Erie region, by strengthening our academic programs, and creating dynamic partnerships with business, In beginning her tenure, Getz becomes the frst woman to lead Mercyhurst in nearly 50 years — since the 1963-1972 tenure of Sister Carolyn Herrmann, RSM, Ph.D., who was preceded in that role by six Sisters of Mercy, starting with Mother Borgia Egan, RSM, in the year of the university’s founding, 1926. Although honored to be joining the ranks of the university’s esteemed female leaders, she doesn’t see the distinction as defning. “I don’t think my strengths lie in being a woman, but in being my own person … likewise, I don’t just want to be the president; I want to be a human being.” Getz earned a Bachelor of Science in Human Development from Pennsylvania State University, an MBA from Gannon University, and a doctorate in Business Environment and Public Policy from the government, the Erie Catholic Diocese, non-profts, and marginalized groups across the region,” she said.
THEATRE PERFORMANCE: Les Miserables (drama) and Much Ado About Nothing (comedy) SPORT: Hockey PIECE OF ADVICE: Be true to yourself and your values.
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