Janice Fitzgerald

Janice S. Fitzgerald served as Chief of Staff and Deputy Chancellor for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system from 2001 to 2011.  As a part of the senior policy team for the college and university system during that time, she worked closely with the system’s governing board, the chancellor, and college/university presidents on matters of policy, procedure and practice system-wide.  Ms. Fitzgerald was also responsible for writing and/or oversight for the chief executive's speeches and correspondence; governing board reports, public relations statements and communication. 

Prior to joining the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, Ms. Fitzgerald was the founding public relations and communications director for the State System of Higher Education in Pennsylvania.  She left that office as the Executive Deputy for the system. Ms. Fitzgerald was director of public relations and publications at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania and an assistant professor of English there. She has taught at Villanova University and Carnegie-Mellon University and presented at numerous seminars, workshops, and conferences.  

Ms. Fitzgerald has been recognized for academic honors and as an Outstanding Young Woman of America.  She received a citation from the Chapel of the Four Chaplains, Philadelphia, and is a National Association for Equal Opportunity Alumnus of the Year awardee.  In addition, the Education Writers Association (EWA) has selected her twice for the EWA and Johnson Foundation Wingspread Seminars in Racine, Wisconsin.  Ms. Fitzgerald has also been recognized for organizational and crisis management skills.

Ms. Fitzgerald currently works with the Association of Institutions of Jewish Studies.  As a founding member of the College and University Public Relations Association of Pennsylvania, she served as secretary and vice president of the group and helped establish the CUPRAP Minorities in Communications Scholarship.  She has held membership in the Modern Language Association, Public Relations Society of America, the National Association of Women in Education, the Barbara Pym Society and was a member of the state planning committee for the Pennsylvania American Council on Education-National Identification Program for Women.

Ms. Fitzgerald graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in English from Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, received the Master of Education from Cheyney University and the Master of Arts from Villanova University.  Doctoral course work in rhetoric and composition was undertaken at Carnegie-Mellon University, and she completed the Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.  

A native of LaGrangeville, New York, Ms. Fitzgerald resides in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  She is married to David R. Davis and has three stepchildren, Deana, Devorah, and Menachem Mendel.

jsf@agbsearch.com