John Dolan, vice-chancellor of enrollment management at the University of Denver, is leaving Nov. 1 to assume his new duties as president of the Catholic Foundation of the Denver Archdiocese.
The university plans to conduct a national search for a replacement for Dolan, which will be led by AHUM/SOC Dean Gregg Kvistad.
John V. Seaman, chairman of the Catholic Foundation’s board of trustees, announced Dolan’s appointment.
Dolan worked as the dean of enrollment management at the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. before taking the position at DU. Dolan said the decision to leave DU was not an easy one.
“Oh, there were a few sleepless nights, yeah, but ironically enough, it was Chancellor Ritchie who helped me arrive at my decision,” said Dolan. “He told me he’d rather see me stay at DU, and I think he was serious about that, but that I should do what is in my heart.”
The Catholic Foundation for the Archdiocese of Denver was established in 1998 as a non-profit organization to support the mission and ministries of the church in northern Colorado. The foundation specializes in endowment and grant fund management for the Catholic community. Dolan chose to take the presidency at the organization for a variety of reasons.
“The primary reason is the gap I’ve observed between the needs the Catholic Church is being asked to meet, and the corresponding resources to meet those needs,” he said. “I think I can help communicate this gap to potential supporters of the foundation and ensure that 50 years from now the church is capable of providing current levels of service, if not more.”
Dolan received his undergraduate degree from Benedictine College, and attended graduate programs at Northwest Missouri State University, Nova University and DU. He and his wife Marilyn have four children. Dolan comes to the Catholic Foundation presidency highly touted by Denver Archbishop Charles J. Chaput.
“John Dolan has the ideal combination of superior talent and faith to do a demanding job very well,” Chaput said in a press release. “He’ll serve the Catholic Foundation, its donors and its mission with extraordinary skill.”
Dolan attributes his appointment for the job and past achievements to the mentors and role models in his life, including the Chancellor.
“Dan, and all my role models, place an extraordinary value on personal integrity,” said Dolan. “When I asked Dan Ritchie the hardest thing about being Chancellor, his response was “setting a good example.”
