• A new leader, a new millennium
• Alumni Profile: Myldred E. Jones, '29

A new leader, a new millennium
New Alumni Board president discusses Wittenberg experience, plans for year 2000

Dr. John Marr, ’81, has a purpose. You can see it in his eyes when you first meet him. Combine that with his charming personality, and you can see why Marr wants to serve his alma mater as Alumni Board president.

In this position, Marr leads a group of dedicated alumni volunteers who provide feedback as advisers to Wittenberg's alumni programs.

Marr’s goal for the Alumni Board is to help fellow alumni reflect on what is important to them and to help them find a place for Wittenberg in their lives.

“Although I have maintained close relationships from every major phase of my life so far, there is no doubt that my time at Wittenberg was a unique opportunity to establish lifelong friendships,” he said.

“How could I not want to continue to be involved in a place that has given me so much?” First among Marr’s cherished friends is his wife of 15 years, Tina Bergeest Marr, ’82.

The Marrs have one future “Tiger,” 2-year-old Lucas, who, Marr said, is “the best thing that Tina and I have ever done together." Marr recalls their difficulty in deciding on a first name for their son.

Among other things they liked about the name “Lucas,” the fact that it is also the last name of Virginia Lucas, professor emeritus of education and close friend, made the selection special.

“I met her during Freshmen Days,” the Wittenberg psychology major said. “Back then, they used to separate the freshmen into smaller groups and take them to instructors’ homes,” he explained.

His group went to Virginia Lucas’ home. “I was so impressed with her that I wanted to take a class with her. I dearly love Virginia and would wish for every Wittenberg student such a friendship with one of their professors.”

A leader in higher education, Marr was named a Kellogg Fellow in 1993. Since 1993, Marr has served as an academic dean, and in his current role as dean of the Career and Technical Programs Division at Columbus State Community College, the school’s largest academic division, Marr provides leadership for the college, oversees strategic planning and controls the division’s annual budget of $15 million.

Marr earned his Ph.D. in higher education administration from The Ohio State University.As head of the Alumni Board, Marr wants to challenge all alumni to become an integral part of Wittenberg.

“Wittenberg prepared us to be leaders in our careers and in our communities. With every graduating class, the university must hold on to some of the best of this talent pool in order to maintain and strengthen the institution.”

Marr also plans to play an active role in helping the Office of Alumni Relations encourage more alumni participation overall and establish more alumni clubs throughout the country.

“Making headway on regional clubs is very important to me,” he said. “I’m hoping the alumni board can provide an even better template for how to establish and maintain the clubs over the long term.”

In addition, Marr plans to work with the board to articulate a new strategic plan for the alumni office of the next millennium.

We will continue to research what alumni would like to see happen at Wittenberg so we can better serve them now and in the future, he said, adding that he encourages feedback from alumni on this issue.

“Wittenberg provided all of us with a foundation for life, and by working together as alumni, we can give back to this wonderful institution for years to come,” he said.