Mary Remenschneider oversees strategic planning, executive searches, institutional compliance and workplace culture development at Hope College. She works closely with the Board of Trustees and the president, to whom she reports directly. As a member of Hope’s Administrative Council and its liaison to the president, she collaborates to plan and execute major presidential programs and initiatives. In 2018 and 2019 she coordinated the presidential search process and laid the groundwork for a successful transition of leadership of the college.

Mary managed development of the Hope for the World 2025 ten-year strategic plan and the subsequent campus master plan that supports the college’s strategic priorities; she now oversees their implementation. She co-chaired recent search and selection processes for Hope College’s provost, vice president for public affairs and marketing, and other major administrative positions, and recently implemented a trust index employee survey through the Great Place to Work Institute as one element of the continuing institution-wide effort to create a workplace culture in which all members can be successful.

Within the Office of the President she also oversees budgets, gathers research and data to inform presidential and Administrative Council deliberations, and manages staff responsible for institutional and Title IX compliance.

Mary joined the Hope College administration in 2003 as director of alumni relations, a role that was soon expanded to encompass parent relations as well. From 2009 to 2013, as executive director of major gifts and campaign director she led a team of nine to successfully complete a $210 million comprehensive campaign while also raising $22 million annually in charitable commitments to the college. She was appointed to her current position in 2013 (first with the job title director of strategic initiatives, since renamed associate vice president and chief of staff).

AREAS OF Expertise

Mary's expertise in strategic planning, program evaluation, policy development and organizational dynamics shape her administrative leadership at Hope College. Her management training in the context of a graduate program in social work informs her focus on creating work experiences for people that are meaningful, fulfilling and tap into their gifts and strengths. She has a particular passion for helping individuals understand and use their leadership skills.

EDUCATION

• MSW, policy, planning and administration, Western Michigan University, 1998
• B.A., psychology, Hope College, 1996

selected Professional Presentations

• “Engaging Students in Institutional Decision-Making through the Student Affairs Division and the President’s Office,” Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education annual conference, 2018
• “Engaging Students to Create Welcoming Spaces where Campus Diversity Thrives,” College and University Planners annual conference, 2017

Outside the College

Mary enjoys exercise and being outdoors, from gardening to spending time on Lake Michigan. She is married and has two children, one in elementary school and one in high school. She is a member of Grace Episcopal Church in Holland.