LGBTQ Presidents in Higher Education is pleased to announce the appointment of James J. (Jim) Berg as Acting Executive Director. Berg assumed the position on August 1, 2022, and will serve while Executive Director Terry Allison is on leave.

Dr. Erika Endrijonas, Superintendent-President of Pasadena City College and the organization’s current Co-Chair, notes “Jim has been associated with our organization for several years, as a dean at community colleges in California and New York. He will be very helpful as we work to broaden our membership and heighten the impact of LGBTQ leaders in higher education.” Berg has been a volunteer for the organization since Spring 2022 and previously attended several Leadership Institutes since 2015, including the most recent institute held at Pasadena City College in June 2022.

James J. Berg is an independent scholar and freelance editor, specializing in academic publishing. He earned a Ph.D. in English literature from the University of Minnesota. He won a Lambda Literary Award for Gay Studies in 2000 for The Isherwood Century: Essays on the Life and Work of Christopher Isherwood (U Wisconsin, 1999), edited with Chris Freeman. A new expanded paperback of his book, Isherwood on Writing: The Complete Lectures in California, is due in Fall 2022 from the University of Minnesota Press. He has had a twenty-plus year career in higher education administration, focusing on faculty development, most recently serving as Associate Dean of Faculty at the Borough of Manhattan Community College (CUNY) from 2016 to 2021.

LGBTQ Presidents in Higher Education advances effective leadership in the realm of post-secondary education, supports professional development of LGBTQ leaders in that sector, and provides education and advocacy regarding LGBTQ issues within the global academy and for the public at large. The organization counts over 100 members who currently or formerly served as presidents or chancellors from all sectors of higher education in the United States and Canada. LGBTQ Presidents in Higher Education has held three international conferences since 2015. Members also meet regularly at annual meetings of the organization and have organized programs at ACE, the Association of Governing Boards (AGB), AASCU, and at state and regional conferences of community college leaders.

For further information about this appointment or LGBTQ Presidents in Higher Education, please contact Dr. Erika Endrijonas at eendrijonas@pasadena.edu.

LGBTQ Presidents in Higher Education and its subsidiary, LGBTQ Leaders in Higher Education are registered charitable organizations incorporated in the State of Illinois. For more information contact ExecutiveDirector@lgbtqpresidents.org