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First Posted: 6/1/2013
Keystone College in La Plume will begin a new era in its proud history June 3, when it welcomes Dr. David Coppola as its tenth president. Dr. Coppola, who comes to Keystone from Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, Conn., succeeds Dr. Edward G. Boehm Jr., who will continue to serve as President Emeritus.
“I am deeply honored to begin serving as president of Keystone College,” Dr. Coppola said. “I am positive Keystone will continue on its remarkable journey, and I look forward to working with the entire Keystone community as we strive to build upon our proud past and work toward an even more promising future.”
Coppola has been an education professional for more than 25 years at the secondary and post-secondary levels. During his time at Sacred Heart, he played an integral role in helping the university grow from a commuter institution of about 600 students granting associate’s and bachelor’s degrees to an institution currently serving 6,200 total students and with a residential student population of 3,200. Sacred Heart now grants bachelor’s, master’s and select professional doctoral degrees.
At Sacred Heart, Coppola engaged in developing and implementing the university’s strategic plans, master space planning, accreditation, asset and property acquisition, and capital projects and renovations. He played key roles in fundraising, had direct oversight of campus operations, and was responsible for managing $24 million of the university’s budget. One of his most significant accomplishments was the development and implementation of a series of five-year strategic plans aimed at incrementally developing and growing the university.
Beginning his career as a teacher at Morris Catholic High School in New Jersey, Coppola then transitioned to DePaul Diocesan High School in Wayne, N.J., where he served as an administrator for ten years. After completing his doctoral studies in educational administration at Fordham University, he made the transition to higher education, joining Sacred Heart University as Director of the Center for Christian-Jewish Understanding (CCJU). His success in that post led to his appointment as Executive Assistant to the President, a cabinet-level position. He began significant work in strategic planning and served on essential committees that played a role in the growth of the institution. These experiences prepared him for his role as Vice President of Strategic Planning and Administration, where he served as a member of the president’s senior leaders group and budget development committee.
Coppola obtained a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education from Seton Hall University, with a concentration and teaching certification in English and Music. He also earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s of Sacred Theology from St. Mary’s Seminary and University, Baltimore and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Educational Administration from Fordham University.
Coppola grew up in New Jersey, where his parents taught him a great deal about public service and volunteering in service to others. Joining him at Keystone are his wife, Delia, and their sons, Aidan and Thomas.