NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The College of New Rochelle (CNR) today announced the appointment of two new members to its Board of Trustees: Sr. Christine DeVinne, OSU, president of Ursuline College; and Elizabeth “Liz” Sweney, former Executive Vice President and Chief Merchant of J.C. Penney Company, Inc.
“We are pleased to welcome these two exemplary leaders in their fields to the Board of Trustees at The College of New Rochelle. Sr. Christine’s experience both as an Ursuline and an educator will be of great benefit to the College as we move into the future. The business acumen and creative decision-making Liz brings to her new role will be a tremendous asset. They will both be invaluable to us as we continue to provide academic excellence and educational growth opportunities to our students,” said Dr. Dorothy Escribano, interim president.
About the new Board of Trustees members:
Sr. Christine DeVinne, OSU, was appointed the 17th president of Ursuline College in 2015. There, she has directed her efforts toward raising the profile of the College across the region, increasing student enrollment and student success, expanding community partnerships, and strengthening support for faculty and staff development. Prior to her current position, Sr. Christine was vice president for Academic Affairs at Notre Dame of Maryland University. There she oversaw $4,000,000 in academic grants, collaborated with Student Life in increasing student retention, and supported the Deans in initial certification for the School of Pharmacy, an entry-level Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, the Trailblazer program for first-generation students, and the Academy of Catholic Educators. Sr. Christine received an Ursuline education in Cleveland Heights and later entered the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, summa cum laude, from Ursuline College. She later earned a Master of Arts in English from the University of Notre Dame and a Ph.D. in English from The Ohio State University. Sr. Christine is a past president of the American Name Society, where she serves as a member of the Editorial Board and book review editor of its quarterly, Names: A Journal of Onomastics. Sr. Christine currently resides in Cleveland.
Elizabeth “Liz” Sweney is a CNR alumna and most recently Executive Vice President and Chief Merchant at J.C. Penney Company, Inc. (JCPenny). In her role, she presented at Board of Directors meetings for over a decade, gaining broad exposure to Board activities and decision making. As a champion for building bench strength, developing high potential leaders and comprehensive succession planning, Sweney was a “net positive” contributor to the company’s talent pool. Before joining JCPenney in 2000, Sweney held executive leadership roles at Kellwood Company. She began her career with Montgomery Ward. In 2010, she was named “Retailer of the Year” by Fashion Delivers and took the podium with Tommy Hilfiger as the “Designer of the Year.” She was also chosen by the Dallas Business Journal as “Top Business Woman of the Year, 2012.” Sweney holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from The College of New Rochelle and completed the Executive Program in Strategy & Organization at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. She also completed the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management’s corporate governance program in 2016. Sweney is an active member of the National Association of Corporate Directors and served on the Board of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County, Texas for four years, where she continues to serve on its Advisory Board. Sweney currently resides in Texas.