Marylouise Fennell and the late Paul Gallagher began working together as consultants to higher education in 1999. They determined to fill a need by assisting, at reasonable cost, small and medium-size independent institutions in their efforts to identify and hire outstanding leaders. Subsequently they established GALLAGHER-FENNELL HIGHER EDUCATION SERVICES.

With Paul Gallagher’s death in 2008, Marylouise reconfigured her mission to higher education and attracted new associates who add to and continue the quality reputation and service of GALLAGHER-FENNELL.

Today, Marylouise Fennell will continue to serve higher education, limiting the number of assignments so as to personally attend to each client institution while keeping costs low.

OUR PEOPLE

One of the best-known and most highly respected consultants in the field of independent higher education, Marylouise Fennell is a Sister of Mercy. She is past-president of Carlow University in Pittsburgh and senior counsel for the Washington-based Council of Independent Colleges, where she directs the annual New Presidents Program.

For 20 years, Robert E. Kaffer has been active in higher education executive search. For six years, he was president of a small firm that tailored search services to each institution's specific needs. In addition to his distinguished service in higher education administration, he has written articles and presented papers on search in higher education, on sociological topics and on higher education.