Dear Members of the Clark Community,
I am pleased to announce the appointment of Kendall Isaac, J.D., Ed.D., as Clark’s first general counsel in the University’s history. In addition to serving as the University’s chief legal officer, Kendall will assume the role of vice president and secretary of the University as well as assistant secretary of the Board of Trustees. Kendall brings to Clark broad legal expertise, exceptional judgment, and deep understanding of our higher education landscape. He will join the University on October 15, 2021, working remotely until he is able to relocate to Massachusetts in early November.
As a member of my senior leadership team, Kendall will closely advise me and the administration on a wide range of matters including contracts, transactions, procurement, compliance with laws and regulations, Title IX, HR and DEI, risk management, and university policies and governance. As assistant secretary of the Board of Trustees, Kendall will manage board meetings, materials, and communications, maintain official records, and work with leadership to further enhance and support best practices in higher education governance.
Managing a full plate isn’t new to Kendall. Over the years – in senior positions with higher education institutions in Ohio, Georgia, Virginia, and Pennsylvania – Kendall has had vast responsibility not only as a general counsel but also in most areas of university administration. Kendall has led strategic planning and strategic initiative implementation; overseen the HR function; developed programs to ensure student success; managed Title IX compliance; and chaired an institution-wide equity, inclusion, and belonging effort. Kendall also has experience as a faculty member. He has taught, developed programs, and served on faculty curriculum, admissions, and academic standards committees as a tenure-track law school professor. He has also published his research and work on alternative forms of conflict resolution. Additionally, Kendall relishes the opportunity to engage with students, indicative of having formed and coached student moot court teams on multiple campuses. It is unusual to find one person with as much talent, experience, and expertise. Kendall will be a tremendous addition to the Clark community.
Currently, Kendall is serving as vice president, general counsel, and assistant to the president for special initiatives at Dickinson College. He has previously served as university counsel and chief of staff for Fort Valley State University within the University System of Georgia, and chief legal affairs and human resources officer simultaneously at Darton State College and Bainbridge State College. Prior to moving into higher education administration, Kendall taught employment-related law and alternative dispute resolution as an assistant law professor at Appalachian School of Law. Kendall began his legal career in private law practice as an associate attorney and, then, owner/principal of his own highly successful firm.
Kendall earned his Juris Doctor degree at Capital University Law School and a Doctor of Education degree in Curriculum and Leadership from Columbus State University. He completed his undergraduate studies at The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Rhetorical Communications.
Kendall and his wife Cheryl, with family in the Boston area, are excited to relocate to Worcester. We will formally welcome them both to the Clark community with a gathering later this fall. Until then, please join me in congratulating Kendall on his appointment.
I am grateful to the colleagues below who served along with me on the search committee to identify and recruit such an outstanding candidate.
Sincerely,
David Fithian ’87
President
Search Committee Members
- Davis Baird, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs (through June 30)
- Shuanghong Huo, Professor of Chemistry
- Joseph Kalinowski, Vice President of Information Technology and CIO
- Theresa Malone, Director, Undergraduate Admissions
- Danielle Manning, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer
- Sebastián Royo, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs (as of July 1)
- Nadia Ward, Professor of Practice, Department of Education, and Director, Mosakowski Institute