Defiance College senior administrative appointments announced
July 30, 2014
DEFIANCE, Ohio –Two senior leadership administrative appointments at Defiance College, including a vice president position, were announced this week by President Mark C. Gordon.
Dr. Ken Wetstein, who arrived at DC in 2006 and has served most recently as vice president for student engagement and dean of students, has been named vice president for institutional advancement. He will oversee the College’s advancement programs, including fundraising, alumni and parent relations, planned giving, corporate and foundation relations, and the annual fund.
In addition, Lisa Marsalek, currently serving as the assistant dean of students and director of career development, has been named dean of students.
“I am delighted that Ken Wetstein has agreed to serve as our new vice president for institutional advancement,” said President Gordon. “He has many talents as well as very close ties with the Defiance area community. I am confident that he will do a superb job in leading our fundraising efforts.”
“I am also very pleased that we have someone of the high caliber of Lisa Marsalek ready to step in as our new dean of students,” added Gordon. “She has already proven herself to be an innovative and creative administrator, and I am very pleased that she has agreed to take on added responsibilities.”
“I am honored that President Gordon has asked me to lead the College's development office,” Wetstein said. “I look forward to working with the president and a talented staff in the department in advancing the mission of the College. I have come to love DC during my eight years in student life and athletics, and I am eager to engage with our alumni and supporters who share my affection and admiration for the College.”
Wetstein has played an active role in the local community as well as on campus. He serves on the boards of the Defiance Area Chamber of Commerce, the Defiance City Schools Foundation and the ProMedica Defiance Regional Hospital (PDRH) Foundation. Earlier this year he was co-chair of the PDRH Pro-Am golf event and gala in support of the hospital’s foundation and its Monarch Fund. He is a former member of the board of directors of the Defiance Area YMCA, and he is a volunteer with United Way of Defiance County. He often performs on stage with the Fort Defiance Players community theater group and is treasurer for the Young People’s Theatre Guild.
Wetstein is also a member of the American College Personnel Association and has served on its Commission for Administrative Leadership as well as its placement team.
In 2005 he was awarded a Ph.D. in higher education administration from the University of Missouri–St. Louis. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in political science from Eastern Illinois University and a master of science in education with an emphasis in college student personnel.
Wetstein has worked in residence life at Eastern Illinois and Southwest Missouri State Universities as well as serving as the director of student and professional affairs at St. Louis College of Pharmacy. While at St. Louis College of Pharmacy, he was the inaugural recipient of the College Enhancement Award in recognition of his exceptional work in improving the student life environment at the college.
He is a native of the St. Louis metropolitan area, growing up in East St. Louis as the youngest of nine children. Wetstein and his wife, Carrie, have two daughters, Caitlyn and Chloe.
Succeeding Wetstein as dean of students will be Lisa Marsalek, who is currently the assistant dean of students and director of career development.
Marsalek has 20 years of experience in student affairs. Before coming to Defiance, she worked at The Ohio State University, Case Western Reserve University, and the University of Toledo.
She earned a master of arts in higher education and student affairs, a master of labor and human resources and a bachelor of science in psychology, all from OSU. A northwest Ohio native, she graduated from Holgate High School.
Marsalek is a member of Zonta Club of Defiance and serves on the boards of Autism Model School, Toledo, and Harbor, Inc.
She and her husband, Dan, are the parents of two sons, Nick and T.J.
Defiance College, chartered in 1850, is an independent, liberal arts institution in Northwest Ohio offering nearly 40 undergraduate programs of study as well as graduate programs in education and business. Defiance College has received national recognition for its educational experience of service and engagement. The college website is www.defiance.edu.
