New leadership team brings renewed focus to St. Vladimir’s Seminary

YONKERS, NY (SVOTS Communications)

St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) has entered a new leadership phase, following the retirement this summer of the seminary’s president, Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield. The new leadership team is taking steps to ensure a smooth transition and a renewed focus on the mission of the seminary at this important stage for the future of SVOTS.

Starting from July 1, university dean Dr. Ionuţ-Alexandru Tudorie assumed the additional role of interim president and CEO of SVOTS, in which he was unanimously appointed by the seminary’s Board of Directors.

“It is always difficult and challenging when a long-standing and respected leader like Father Chad Hatfield, who has worked tirelessly and faithfully for the Church and the seminary, passes on,” said Dr. Tudorie. “We are at a crossroads as we look to new leadership. It is not the first such moment of the seminar, nor will it be the last; but we have an opportunity to take a fresh look at how best to do our work as an academic institution in the service of the Church. We are in a position to recommit ourselves to a model of teaching in the service of the Church that is Christ-centered, student-centered, and education-led.”

Dr. Tudorie will lead the faculty and staff as SVOTS continues its comprehensive search for Rev. Chad’s successor, led by His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon as Chairman of the Board. His Beatitude chairs a President Search Committee as mandated by the SVOTS bylaws. The board has also appointed a transition committee to assist and ensure a smooth transition.

“I have come to know Alex Tudorie as a brilliant, skilled and dedicated man of the Church, and I am excited to be a part of the future of the seminary under his leadership,” noted seminary professor Dr. Peter Bouteneff, a serving faculty member of SVOTS. “I am also deeply grateful for Father Chad’s solid tenure as president over these seventeen years, setting the stage for an exciting new chapter in the life of the seminary—and his in his well-deserved retirement.”

In addition, Right Archimandrite Jeremy Davis, an SVOTS alumnus (’04), is now Executive Chairman of the Board of Trustees. He was recently elected to succeed the outgoing Executive Chair, Dr. Nicholas Pandelidis, who has dedicated many years of faithful service to the seminary on the Board (as Trustee from 2005–2020 to 2022–24, serving as Executive Chair from 2023) . Father Jeremy is the incoming vicar archbishop for the Diocese of Toledo and the Midwest in the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America.

“As a seminary graduate, an avid reader of SVS Press, and an archdiocesan administrator who depends on the seminary to meet the needs of our parishes, I am committed — heart and soul — to the mission of St. Vladimir Seminary,” said Rev. Jeremy. “We face some big challenges, but our committed and talented board of trustees, our world-class faculty, our dedicated staff, and especially our tireless and selfless interim president are up to the challenge.”

Dr. Tudorie and Father Jeremy began the initial transition steps at the seminary working in collaboration with SVOTS staff, the Transition Committee and other consultants. A key focus of the new leadership team is strengthening working relationships within a conciliar and transparent governance model, with greater attention to balance between the interdependent, mutually supportive roles of faculty and staff.

Jeffrey Hoff, a longtime trustee and former treasurer, is the chairman of the Transition Committee. “As we move forward into the future at St. Vladimir’s Seminary, we are blessed to have the leadership of Dr. Tudorie, complemented by the broad and deep pastoral leadership of Father Jeremy, executive president,” he said. “Since first joining SVOTS in 2018, Dr. Tudorie has brought renewal and strength to the academic department. His respect for our community—students, faculty, and staff—and his unwavering commitment to the SVOTS mission herald a bright transitional period for our beloved institution, promising a legacy of academic excellence and spiritual growth.”

“We seek your prayers as we work to ensure that the seminary’s educational priorities can be met by a team that works collaboratively in the service of Christ and His gospel,” added Dr. Tudorie.

More information regarding the succession search will be available in the coming weeks.