(Photo provided) Amy Elliot.

From staff reports

Marietta College has appointed Amy Elliott, Ph.D., as dean of the McDonough Center for Leadership and Business, removing the interim designation and formalizing her leadership of the academic center.

Elliott has served as interim dean since August. Her experience includes organizational and personal development, with a focus on community engagement and leadership education, according to a release from the college. The appointment comes as the McDonough Center approaches its 40th anniversary.

“In her decade of service, Dean Elliott has proven herself to be a dedicated and principled leader,” Marietta College President Kathleen Poorman Dougherty said. “Under her leadership, I am confident that the McDonough Center will continue to provide our students with opportunities for growth and learning consistent with our strategic vision. Her ties to the region will help strengthen the College’s partnerships with local and regional communities.”

A native of Williamstown, Elliott earned a master’s degree in communication from Ohio University in 1998 and a Ph.D. in clinical hypnotherapy from American Pacific University in 2008.

Elliott joined Marietta College in 2016 as director of the Nonprofits LEAD Program, where she worked to build connections between the college and the community. She was named director of the Office of Community Engagement in 2021 and moved into a faculty role in 2023.

Her professional background includes work in nonprofit and for-profit sectors, focusing on organizational development, sustainability and partnership building. At Marietta, she teaches courses in leadership foundations, organizational leadership and nonprofit governance.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with the team at the McDonough Center,” Elliott said. “I look forward to connecting more with alumni and helping build a strategic plan that supports the College and meets the needs of today’s students.”

The McDonough Center for Leadership and Business was established in 1986 through a gift honoring Bernard P. McDonough. The program provides leadership development opportunities through coursework, experiential learning and community engagement, serving students across all majors.