Cabinet
Mount Mercy is guided by a team of talented and accomplished leaders. These individuals have decades of experience in the higher education arena and are poised to utilize their expertise to help inspire and shape Mount Mercy students into the future leaders of tomorrow.
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Dr. Todd A. Olson Dr. Todd A. Olson was named President of Mount Mercy University in 2021. In his first two years, he has developed partnerships with local health care organizations, added new academic programs, and convened local leaders in a President's Advisory Council. Prior to Mount Mercy, Dr. Olson served as the Vice President for Student Affairs at Georgetown University and held a variety of roles at the University of Denver. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota-Morris, master’s in counseling psychology at the University of Kansas, and PhD in higher education from the University of Denver. Dr. Olson has written articles and book chapters on entrepreneurial leadership, student well-being, and working with controversial issues on a Catholic campus. |
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Sister Linda Bechen, RSM '74 Sister Linda Bechen was appointed Vice President for Mission & Ministry in 2018. She supervises the Office of Campus Ministry, collaborates with faculty and staff to foster the institution’s mission and identity, and works to infuse and integrate the vision of the founding Sisters of Mercy into all aspects of campus life and ministry. Prior to Mount Mercy, Bechen ministered as the parish life coordinator at St. Patrick in Anamosa, Iowa, and the North Linn Catholic Cluster (St. Stephen, Central City, Iowa; St. John, Coggon, Iowa; and St. Joseph, Prairieburg, Iowa). She has also ministered in several Cedar Rapids and Eastern Iowa parishes as a pastoral associate and educator. |
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Dr. Tom Castle Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Tom Castle oversees the university's faculty and academic operations. He has been with Mount Mercy since 1990, serving as Associate Provost, Dean of Adult Programs, Associate Professor, and Business Department Chair. He also spearheaded Mount Mercy’s SIFE/Enactus program and led the implementation of our graduate and online programs. Dr. Castle served two terms as national chair of the Council for Accelerated Programs. He received his PhD, MBA, and BBA from the University of Iowa. |
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Todd Coleman Todd Coleman joined Mount Mercy in 2020. He leads the university’s undergraduate, graduate, and adult enrollment efforts and provides leadership and management for marketing and communications. Coleman’s 35-year higher education career includes leadership positions at Jacksonville University, Wartburg College, and the University of Missouri, among others. He earned his bachelor's degree from Indiana State University. |
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Tom Doermann, MPA Tom Doermann has been with Mount Mercy since 2014 and previously served as the Assistant Vice President for Human Resources & Operations and Director of Human Resources. He oversees the Athletics, Human Resources, Dining, Bookstore, and Public Safety teams. Prior to Mount Mercy, Tom was the Director of Operations at The Arc of East Central Iowa, Senior Project Manager at Senior Housing Consultants, and City Administrator for the City of North Liberty and City of West Burlington. He earned his MPA from the University of Iowa and BA from the University of Northern Iowa. |
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Brittney Burmahl '13, MSA Brittney Burmahl joined Mount Mercy in 2016 and has previously served as Controller and the Director for Business and Finance. After graduating from Mount Mercy’s business program in 2013, she received her CPA in July of 2015 and went on to work in corporate tax accounting at Transamerica for three years. Brittney completed her Master of Science in Accounting from Golden Gate University in 2019. |
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Lonna Drewelow ’86 Lonna joined Mount Mercy University's Office of Development and Alumni Relations in 1988. She serves as the Assistant Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations. Lonna earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Mount Mercy in 1986. |
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Dr. Danielle Rudd Dr. Danielle Rudd has been a full-time faculty member at Mount Mercy since 2016, where she served as an Assistant Professor of Biology and was granted tenure in Fall 2022. Most recently, Dr. Rudd served the Mount Mercy community as the Faculty Athletic Representative and the Title IX Deputy Coordinator for students. She has also been active in student co-curricular life, campus committees, and advising registered student organizations over the past several years. Dr. Rudd received her PhD in Genetics and BSE in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Iowa. |