Harrisburg, PA – The Board of Governors of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education today unanimously appointed former West Chester University President Christopher M. Fiorentino, Ph.D. to serve as interim chancellor beginning at 5 p.m. Oct. 11.

Fiorentino was president of West Chester University from 2017 until retiring this summer after serving the university for 41 years, starting as Christopher M. Fiorentino, Ph.D. an assistant professor of economics in 1983.

Fiorentino’s appointment as interim chancellor begins when current chancellor Dan Greenstein, Ph.D., completes his service to the State System. The Board of Governors is conducting a national search for the next System chancellor, who is the chief executive officer of the State System and is responsible for its management.

Fiorentino does not intend to apply for the permanent chancellor position.

“Chris Fiorentino was an outstanding president at West Chester University and is highly respected throughout the State System and the Commonwealth,” said Board Chair Cynthia Shapira, Ed.D. “He began his career at West Chester in the same year that PASSHE was established, so he brings tremendous experience, knowledge and wisdom to the role of interim chancellor.

“Chris has dedicated his career of more than 40 years to teaching and serving students. He is passionate about providing people with affordable public higher education and promoting the value that learning and a degree provide for a lifetime. I am pleased that three months into his retirement, he has agreed to return to serving our students, this time as interim chancellor.”

Under Fiorentino’s leadership, West Chester University, the largest university in PASSHE, was driven by the mission to provide affordable access to quality higher education to all deserving students and to stimulate their desire for knowledge.

“I am honored to continue my service to the students, faculty and staff of PASSHE as we build on the tremendous progress the State System has made under Chancellor Dan Greenstein during the past six years,” said Fiorentino. “My focus will be to continue moving the State System forward with the priorities established by the Board and Dr. Greenstein. PASSHE remains committed to accountability and transparency as we further align the system with Pennsylvania’s needs.

“The State System universities are always guided by the needs of our students to have an affordable and valuable higher education. To that end, I look forward to working with Governor Shapiro and the legislature to secure additional state funding next year that would enable PASSHE to freeze tuition again and advance innovation to serve our students and the state.”

While Fiorentino was president of West Chester, the university developed new programming for first-generation college students, placed student success coordinators in each of the university’s six colleges and two schools, engaged in a national student-success mission to help underserved students to graduate, founded a program to support degree-seeking students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and oversaw the construction of the largest building on campus.

Before serving as president, Fiorentino was the university’s interim president for a year and vice president for external operations for three years. He also spent nearly 20 years as dean of the university’s College of Business and Public Affairs (now the College of Business and Public Management) and was chair of the Department of Economics for four years.

An innovative leader, the PASSHE Board of Governors conferred the status of President Emeritus upon Fiorentino in July 2024.

The Philadelphia Business Journal named him to its Power 100 list in 2021, 2022 and 2023, and the Chester County Economic Development Council inducted him into the Chester County Hall of Fame in May.

Fiorentino earned his baccalaureate, master’s, and Ph.D. degrees in economics from Temple University. He and his wife, Sue, reside in Chester County.