PennWest University will hand its top job to a familiar face when James “J.D.” Fisher becomes interim president on Aug. 9. Fisher has spent much of his career at the university, while Jon Anderson prepares to leave after roughly two years as president for a new role in Utah. The leadership switch puts a longtime PennWest academic at the center of the university’s next transition.
The Pittsburgh Business Times reported Wednesday that Fisher will serve as interim president beginning Aug. 9. The appointment follows Anderson’s announced departure to become president of Utah Valley University.
A Familiar Face At PennWest
Fisher currently serves as PennWest’s interim provost and vice president for academic affairs, according to his university profile. He previously held several administrative posts, including senior associate provost and interim dean, and spent more than two decades teaching politics and legal studies at the former Edinboro University.
He is also an Edinboro graduate, holding a bachelor’s degree in political science from the university. His other credentials include a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a law degree from William & Mary.
Anderson’s Utah Move Comes Quickly
Anderson is scheduled to take over as UVU’s eighth president on Aug. 10, according to Utah Valley University. PennWest announced earlier this month that Anderson would leave after helping advance a strategic plan, facilities master plan, academic program review and enrollment initiatives.
Anderson began his PennWest presidency on July 1, 2024, after the university was created through the consolidation of California, Clarion and Edinboro universities. The institution now operates across those three campuses and PennWest Global Online, making Fisher’s interim assignment a university-wide role rather than a single-campus handoff.
Fisher Inherits A Work In Progress
The change arrives as PennWest’s 2023-2026 strategic planning process reaches its launch-and-implementation phase, according to the university’s strategic plan materials. The university has said the work underway will continue without interruption, giving Fisher an immediate mandate to keep academic, enrollment and operational priorities moving while PennWest determines its longer-term leadership path.
