Dear TU community:

In just one year since its launch, the Ben and Myrna Cardin Center for Civic Engagement & Civil Discourse has made an extraordinary impact as a hub for community dialogue, service and understanding. I am deeply grateful to the Cardins for their transformative leadership, which has enriched Towson University in countless ways.

I’m very pleased to announce TU has appointed Nora Demleitner as the executive director of the Cardin Center, effective Sept. 8. Following an extensive national search, Nora distinguished herself as the top candidate to guide the center and build on its early momentum.

A highly respected scholar and leader, Demleitner brings more than 30 years of experience across public service, legal affairs and higher education. She currently serves as a senior fellow at the Council on Criminal Justice, a national nonpartisan organization that works to ensure safety, fairness and justice for all.

Demleitner’s academic career includes prominent positions at nationally recognized universities. She recently served as the president of St. John’s College in Annapolis, where she led one of the nation’s oldest and most distinctive institutions. From 2012–15, she served as dean of the Washington and Lee University School of Law, where she was also the Roy L. Steinheimer Jr. Professor of Law from 2015 to 2021.

Other leadership positions include serving as a faculty member and director of master’s law programs at St. Mary’s University School of Law (Texas) from 1994 to 2001, followed by faculty and academic leadership roles at the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University (New York) from 2001 to 2015, including serving as dean from 2007 to 2012.

Demleitner received her juris doctor from Yale Law School, a master of laws degree with distinction in international and comparative law from Georgetown University Law Center and a bachelor’s degree from Bates College. Following law school, she clerked for current U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., who was then a member of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

We are thrilled to have Nora join our university community, partnering with two visionary leaders, former U.S. Sen. Ben and Myrna Cardin ’65, to support the Cardin Center and its mission to advance civil discourse and strengthen American democracy. The Cardin Center is a cornerstone of TU’s commitment to civic engagement and service for the public good. Demleitner’s leadership, professional experiences and expertise will advance our efforts to address today’s most complex and critical issues—work that has never been more important.

I thank and express my appreciation to David Kinkopf, CEO of Catholic Charities of Baltimore, who chaired this search, as well as the members of the search committee who were instrumental in our selection of Nora Demleitner for this important position. The members of the search committee were:

  • Patricia Bradley, vice president, Office of Inclusion & Institutional Equity
  • Romy Hübler, director, Office of Social Impact
  • Michael Korzi, professor and former chair, Department of Political Science
  • Chris Lynch, chief of staff for Sen. Cardin
  • Alison McCartney, dean of the Honors College, professor of political science
  • Fran Soistman ’79, ’15 (hon.), founder and president, Healthcare Management & Transformation Advisory Services LLC
  • Richard Vatz, TU professor emeritus

This search would not have been possible without the partnership and support of our colleagues in the Office of Human Resources, especially Nyasha Lumumba, manager of talent acquisition, who supported this comprehensive national search process.

I also express my gratitude to Tameka Porter, who served as the interim executive director and helped guide the Cardin Center through its inaugural year and positioned it for continued success.

Please join me in welcoming Nora Demleitner as she assumes this important role. I know her leadership will have a lasting impact on TU and communities both across Maryland and throughout the nation as she supports the Cardin Center in strengthening civic engagement, advancing democracy and fostering respectful dialogue.

Sincerely,

Mark R. Ginsberg, Ph.D.
President