President Dr. Chris Maggio

Dr. Chris Maggio

Northwestern State President

Chris Maggio is a competitor for all

seasons.

Northwestern State’s fourth-year president was an all-sports athlete in high school, a college distance runner at NSU, and a high school football, basketball and track coach. He became a college coach in track and field for the Demons and Lady Demons. He even spent a few years as a high school basketball referee. His zeal for competition makes him a dynamic recruiter and fund raiser for NSU, and his ability to mentor staff members and students combines with his warmth and sincerity to produce a tremendously effective university administrator.

Those traits, along with Dr. Maggio’s deep roots and farreaching relationships, made him an ideal choice to take over the presidency at his alma mater.

After a national search in spring 2017, he succeeded Dr. Jim Henderson, whose dynamic tenure spearheaded significant growth and achievement in two years as president. Henderson moved up to run the University of Louisiana System, which includes Northwestern and eight other state universities. Maggio, 56, is a lifelong resident of Natchitoches and long-time faculty and staff member at Northwestern State. He is the university’s 19th president since its founding in 1884, and the first one who is homegrown, along with the first to be a four-year athletic letterwinner as a Demon competitor. Maggio was named vice president for the student experience at Northwestern State in 2016 after serving as interim vice president for just over a year. He maintained his role as vice president for the student experience while serving as acting president. When the NSU Student Services building opened three years ago, designers had a lovely office location for Maggio on the second floor. He asked instead for the room just inside the front door to the building, not connected to any administrative wing, but envisioned as a conference space. His reasoning: Maggio wanted to see everybody who walked in the door, and providing the ability to immediately engage them or at least be easily accessible for anyone who needed help. As vice president, Maggio led the Dean of Students and the Offices of Admissions, Recruiting, Financial Aid, Student Activities and Organizations, First Year Experience and Leadership Development, Judicial Services, Counseling and Career Services, Student Life, the Student Activities Board, Student Government Association, Student Support Services, and Greek Life. Northwestern State has recorded enrollment increases for the past four years, with record numbers in 2017-18, peaked by 11,081 in the fall 2018 semester. Maggio served as assistant vice president of external affairs for university advancement from 2013 until 2015, when he was promoted by Dr. Henderson. He has been a staff member at Northwestern State since 1988, when he joined the track and field coaching staff. After several years as director of admissions and recruiting during record-setting enrollment for NSU, Maggio was selected as director of alumni affairs in 1999, director of alumni and development in 2003, executive director of the NSU Foundation in 2005 and Dean of Students and assistant provost for student success in 2007. During his career at NSU, Maggio also served as director of enrollment services. Under Maggio’s leadership, the NSU Foundation completed its first capital campaign in Northwestern’s history, exceeding a campaign goal of $18.84 million and raising $31 million to support the university. He has also been a faculty member in the Department of Health and Human Performance for more than 20 years as an instructor, assistant professor and associate professor. Maggio came on board the NSU staff in 1988 as assistant track and field coach, then became head women’s coach a year later. After a very successful five years in that capacity, in 1994 Maggio moved into administration as the fundraiser for NSU Athletics before quickly being snapped up to become the university’s director of admissions and recruiting. Maggio is a 1985 summa cum laude graduate of Northwestern State. He won Gulf Star Conference All-Academic honors in track and field and helped the Demons win the 1985 GSC championship. As a senior, he was elected Mr. NSU by his fellow students. Maggio earned his master’s of education at NSU. He received a doctorate in developmental education from Grambling State University. His parents helped run a family business in Natchitoches. His father, Buddy, was honored as a “Natchitoches Treasure” in 2015 by the City of Natchitoches. As a young boy, Maggio became playmates with future Basketball Hall of Fame member Joe Dumars, whose home was near one of the Maggio’s stores. Dr. Maggio’s wife, Jennifer, was formerly on the NSU staff as Coordinator of Adult Education Initiatives. They have three children, Melanie, Scott, and Emily.

UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION

President: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dr. Chris Maggio Provost & VP for Academic Affairs: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dr. Greg Handel Vice President for External Affairs: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jerry Pierce Vice President for Inclusion and Diversity: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dr. Michael Snowden Vice President for Technology, Innovation and Economic Development: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dr. Darlene Williams