April 24, 2026
The St. Mary’s University Board of Trustees, at its meeting on Thursday, approved the appointment of Gwendolen “Gwen” M. Pechan to serve as the University’s next Vice President for Information Services.
Following a national search, Pechan was selected for her strong qualifications, extensive experience and commitment to both mission and excellence. She was also the candidate of choice by the campus community. She will join St. Mary’s on June 1, 2026, replacing Curtis White, who was the first to serve in the officer position overseeing information technology and library services.
Pechan is a transformational information technology executive with deep expertise in strategic planning, large-scale technology modernizations and institutional data management, gained over her 32-year career in both educational and corporate sectors. In her most recent role as the Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida, where she spent seven years, Pechan successfully led the institution’s transition from legacy software to a modern, cloud-based enterprise platform. After spearheading the system selection, she directed the on-time and on-budget implementation for finance, human resources and planning, positioning the institution for its upcoming student information systems delivery. Additionally, she established the college’s first formal data management program and launched a cross-campus initiative to define its AI strategy, with a heavy emphasis on ethical use.
Prior to her executive role in Florida, Pechan spent 14 years at the University of Pittsburgh, ultimately serving as Director of Information Technology for the Health Sciences. There, she orchestrated complex technology transitions, including a student systems refresh; established foundational IT operations; and built a comprehensive business intelligence and data analytics program from the ground up.
Pechan is deeply committed to community service, shared governance and collaborative leadership. She recently served as the Board Chair of the Higher Education Systems and Services (HESS) Consortium and continues to serve as co-chair of the HESS Collective Steering Committee, a program that makes Oracle implementation and licensing accessible for small, liberal arts institutions. Her role is to liaise with HESS partners to ensure they remain accountable to member institutions. She sits on the Advisory Board of the InspireCIO Northeast Florida Chapter and is the past President of the Executive Women’s Council, where she championed board diversity and the advancement of women in leadership. Pechan has also enjoyed coaching girls’ lacrosse and donating her time and expertise to an organic composting co-op.
Pechan holds a Master of Science in Management of Information Systems, a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Information Sciences, all from the University of Pittsburgh.