New Housing Director To Be Selected

USA's housing director, Joe Green, is retiring effective Aug. 1. To replace him, a University selection committee chaired by Dean of Students Michael Mitchell has narrowed the field down to three candidates. "We're looking for someone with experience in housing at a director's level," Mitchell said, "Someone who would be a good fit for our institution, as far as our size and the budgetary responsibility." Tom Pilgreen, Anthony DeSantis and Chris Charlton all have experience qualifying them for this position. Pilgreen has a varied resume in university administration beginning in 1985 as an admissions counselor at The University of North Alabama. He is currently an associate professor at the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) but worked in the Housing Department there from 1996 to 2008. Before that he worked in housing at other universities since 1989. Pilgreen earned his doctorate in Higher Education in 1995 from Mississippi State University. DeSantis comes from Davie, Fla., just outside of Fort Lauderdale, where he is currently serving as Director of Housing for Nova Southeastern University. According to his resume, he has been with that university for seven years, managing its campus housing that contains more than 1,500 beds. He is currently working on his doctorate in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from Nova. Charlton, like Pilgreen, also comes from the UCA. She has worked in university housing from Mississippi to Arkansas since 1996 and currently serves as director of housing and residence life at UCA. According to her profile on the university's Web site, she has a Master of Science in Counselor Education with emphasis in Student Development. All three candidates will be having luncheons and presentations during the June 8 - 12 week. The committee is made up of administration, students and faculty, and they will ultimately decide which of these three will be joining USA as the new housing director.