“It’s a high honor and a distinct privilege to be named president of Madonna,” Grandillo said. “It’s a place where Catholic values and Franciscan values of peace and justice are alive and changing people’s lives through education.”
Grandillo will succeed Sister Rose Marie Kujawa, the university announced Wednesday. He will assume office July 1. An inauguration is planned for the fall.
The head of the university’s board said Grandillo was the right candidate to become the first lay president to lead the 4,200-student liberal arts school.
“His breadth of experience across all aspects of university administration, and his deep faith and respect for the Felician/Franciscan mission and tradition will serve him and the Madonna community well,” said Michael Talbot, who also sat on the search committee.
A lifelong Roman Catholic, Grandillo grew up in the Shiloh area of Harrison Twp. and attended St. Rita School before going to Meadowdale.
He credited his elementary and secondary school experiences for putting him on a path to higher education and academia.
“I remember the good Sisters of the Precious Blood that taught me at St. Rita’s and the fine teachers at Meadowdale High School,” he said. “The diversity of the high school changed me and meant a lot to me. It was a great time to grow up in Dayton.”
Grandillo holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Ohio Northern University and while at the University of Dayton earned a master’s in education. In 2006, he completed his doctorate degree at the University of Toledo.
A lifelong Roman Catholic, Grandillo has more than 35 years of higher education experience in academic leadership, recruitment, enrollment management, public relations and advancement at a number of colleges and universities. Outside of academia, he was elected to the Tiffin City Council four times, and served a year and a half as council president. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, recently appointed Grandillo to his commission to screen candidates for federal appointments.
Grandillo and his wife Nancy have two grown children, Vincent and Gina. His father, Anthony, is deceased but his mother, Lucy, still lives near where he was raised.
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