March 31, 2010 – The National Humanities Alliance (NHA), a coalition of more than one hundred organizations and institutions, has elected Michael Brintnall as its new President.  Dr. Brintnall succeeds John Churchill, who completed his second full-term as President this spring.  Dr. Churchill will continue to serve on the Alliance board as Immediate Past President.

 

Brintnall has been a member of the National Humanities Alliance Board of Directors since 2005.  Most recently, he served on the Alliance’s National Agenda for the Humanities working group and on its Task Force on Open Access and Scholarly Communication.

 

Dr. Brintnall is Executive Director of the American Political Science Association, the leading professional organization for the study of political science, with more than 15,000 members in over 80 countries.  He formerly directed the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration, the U.S. national accrediting body for the Masters degree in public administration and public policy.  Previous positions include Vice President for Academic Affairs at Mount Vernon College in Washington, DC, Director of the Economic Development Program Evaluation Office at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and faculty appointments in political science at Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island and Mount Vernon College, in Washington DC.  

 

He received the Ph.D. in Political Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1976. Research and public policy interests include urban public policy and development, nonprofit organizations and new models of public governance, and international roles of scholarly associations in civil society and development.  He is a founding member of the InterAmerican Network for Public Administration Education, and past president of the Consortium of Social Science Associations. 

 

As NHA President, Dr. Brintnall chairs all meetings of the Board of Directors, the Executive Committee, and the annual membership meeting and performs other duties described by the bylaws.  

 

Commenting on his new role, Dr. Brintnall said, "It is a privilege to have a leadership role with the National Humanities Alliance.  It means an opportunity to work with extraordinary colleagues - in the government, in professional communities, in colleges and universities, and with the public - who together share a public trust to advance the humanities.  The need and the responsibility is great to increase public support for the humanities to advance our civic life, to protect our cultural heritage, to discover and transmit new knowledge, and, plainly said, to create opportunities to enrich lives.  I look forward to these initiatives.”

 

Jessica Irons, Executive Director of the National Humanities Alliance, expressed enthusiasm. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Michael Brintnall, who brings an impressive, practical and academic background in public policy to the role of NHA president.  Michael has served as an effective and vocal advocate for the humanities and social sciences during his tenure on the Alliance board, and throughout his professional career.”

 

Additional information about the National Humanities Alliance’s Board of Directors, including the current roster and election results, is available here.