President-elect Mantella to be guest of Sen. Gary Peters at State of the Union

Grand Valley President-elect Philomena Mantella will attend the Feb. 5 State of the Union address in Washington, D.C. as a guest of U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.).

Mantella was elected last month by Grand Valley's Board of Trustees to serve as the institution's fifth president. She will succeed President Thomas J. Haas, who will retire June 30.

"It is my great honor to attend the State of the Union Address as Senator Peters' guest. I look forward to partnering with him to promote even more pathways to success as Grand Valley continues to grow,” Mantella said. "Over the past few weeks, I’ve been able to see firsthand some of the many opportunities Grand Valley students have to pursue their dreams in this state."

Senator Peters said: "I’m excited to work with Dr. Mantella to build on all the amazing things being done at Grand Valley. I commend Grand Valley for already preparing students to enter the 21st-century workforce and helping Michigan businesses have access to a pipeline of trained workers."

Peters has worked to expand access to higher education opportunities through dual and concurrent enrollment and early/middle college programs.