The Board of Trustees of Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, N.Y. recently elected alumnus Lou Bach ’82, founder and President of Spectrum Pension and Compensation, Inc., as board chair of the college.
Bach’s tenure as chair will begin immediately. Michael Horodyski, the former chair, will continue to serve as a board member.
Bach brings with him extensive institutional knowledge, excellent business leadership skills, and a strong commitment to the college’s success. In 1982, he graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Mount with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management and Administration. He went on to serve on the Mount board from 2003 to 2012, and returned as a trustee earlier this year.
As founder and President of Spectrum Pension and Compensation, Inc. Bach brings an array of expertise and experience that will serve him well in this role. Among other achievements, he was awarded the Joseph A. Bonura Award for Leadership Excellence at the Mount’s Annual Gala in 2022.
As the new chair of the board, Bach is dedicated to honoring the heritage of the college’s founders – the Dominican Sisters – while improving the Mount’s rigorous academic programs.
“The Mount has always held a special place in my heart,” said Bach. “I’m honored to have been named chair of the Mount’s board, and I look forward to carrying on the Dominican educational tradition that has been alive and well on campus from the start. Mount students have always made such a positive impact on our community, and I look forward to helping to provide a learning environment that builds our students into community leaders, service-minded businesspeople, and experts in their chosen professions. I also look forward to collaborating with Interim President Fr. Greg Fluet, incoming president Dr. Robert Gervasi, and all of the hard-working members of the board and the Mount community.”
Fr. Gregoire Fluet, Interim President of the Mount, thanked Horodyski for all he has done over the last four years as chair of the board. The president and CEO of Wallkill Valley Federal Savings and Loan, Horodyski has been a Mount board member since 2017 and chaired the board since 2020. He helped to lead the Mount through the COVID-19 pandemic, appoint Fr. Fluet as Interim President of the Mount, and helm the search for the college’s eighth president, Dr. Robert Gervasi, who will begin his tenure at the college on Monday, June 17.
“Michael has given us the best of himself no matter the circumstances – from weekends and holidays to meetings that have gone late into the evening – and his devotion to the Mount has not gone unnoticed,” said Fr. Fluet. “Put simply, what a wonderful job he has done. As I look forward to seeing the fantastic things Lou Bach will accomplish as board chair, I’m also extremely grateful to Michael to the dedication and care he’s brought to the role.”
In a communication to the Mount community announcing Bach’s election, Horodyski noted that he has enjoyed his time as board chair.
“It has been an honor to serve as chair of the Mount Saint Mary College Board of Trustees for these past four years,” Horodyski said. “I have seen the transformative education that the Mount provides, the impact that our graduates have in their communities, and the tremendous dedication of our staff and faculty that makes all this possible. The Dominican pillars of community, study, service, and spirituality are alive and well at the Mount.”
Located 60 miles north of New York City, the Mount offers bachelor’s degree programs preparing students for careers in Healthcare, Business, Education, Social Services, Communication/Media, and more. Master’s degree programs include options in Nursing, Business, and Education.