By Brianna Houchens

John P. Tafaro, president of Chatfield College, has announced his retirement after more than 10 years in the position. “It has been a great honor and privilege to serve as Chatfield’s fifth president” he explained. “We have a wonderful board, faculty and staff, and it has been an honor to work with so many great people. But my biggest blessing has been to witness education transforming lives for the better. Chatfield College is all about its students, and I have been inspired watching so many students overcome significant barriers to build a better future for themselves and their families.”

The Board will conduct a nationwide search for Tafaro’s successor, and he will stay on to assist during the transition. Tory Parlin, vice-chair of the Chatfield Board, who will chair the search committee, said, “Chatfield is a unique institution, serving a population of students that may have no other option in higher education. We are confident we will find a replacement for President Tafaro, who will continue his work and the Ursuline legacy of service and support that has been Chatfield’s trademark since 1971.”

Barry Elkus, of Gilman Partners, has been retained to identify candidates and manage the search.

William Montague, Chatfield’s Board chair added, “John Tafaro’s tenure at Chatfield has been long and successful. For more than a decade, he has been instrumental in growing our annual fundraising, endowment, and enrollment, resulting in more scholarships and expanded facilities and resources for students at both campuses, including the creation of Chatfield’s state-of-the-art campus in Over-the-Rhine.”

Tafaro, 64, is the second-longest serving college president among the 18 regionally accredited colleges and universities in Greater Cincinnati. A former adjunct instructor at Xavier University, Ohio University and Tiffin University, as well as an attorney and CEO of several area companies, he plans to do consulting work in higher education and for philanthropic organizations and foundations.

Chatfield College is a private, Catholic, liberal arts college that offers Associate of Arts degrees in Brown County, OH, and Cincinnati, and it is an open-enrollment college. The Brown County campus is located at 20918 State Route 251 in St. Martin, OH; the Cincinnati campus is located in historic Over-the-Rhine at 1544 Central Parkway; Cincinnati, OH. For more information, visit the website, at www.chatfield.edu, call (513) 875-3344 or e-mail [email protected].