Leader in government, higher education, and emerging technology returns to F&M to help launch signature cohort-based initiative focused on leadership, entrepreneurship, and civic engagement.

 

Franklin & Marshall College has appointed Bryan Stinchfield as the inaugural Executive Director of the Mehlman Leadership and Performance Institute, a new signature initiative designed to prepare students at F&M to lead with resilience, creativity, and purpose in a rapidly changing world.

As Executive Director, Stinchfield will lead the launch and growth of the Mehlman Institute, including its inaugural Leadership Fellows cohort arriving this fall. Established through a foundational $3.2 million gift from F&M Trustee and Board Vice Chair Ken Mehlman ’88, the Institute connects leadership development, entrepreneurship, civic engagement, and performance science through hands-on learning experiences.

“The Mehlman Institute reflects what is distinctive about Franklin & Marshall at its best: close mentorship, hands-on learning, intellectual rigor, and a deep commitment to preparing students to lead meaningful lives,” said President Andrew Rich. “Bryan brings the rare combination of academic leadership, real-world experience, and strategic vision needed to help build and scale this initiative, and we are fortunate that he already has deep roots in Lancaster. Bryan understands that leadership is developed through experience, mentorship, and practice. That philosophy is central to the Mehlman Institute and aligns closely with Franklin & Marshall's approach to educating students for lives of leadership and service.”

“Our graduates use their world-class liberal arts education to create societal change. The Institute will significantly advance that tradition, and I'm honored to help bring its vision to life."

Bryan Stinchfield
Executive Director of the Mehlman Leadership and Performance Institute

A Career Built on Leadership, Teaching, and Innovation

Stinchfield's combination of leadership experience, teaching excellence, record of service to the public and students, and deep knowledge of Franklin & Marshall positions him well to launch the Institute as its inaugural executive director. Earlier in his career, he earned tenure with the College’s Department of Business, Organizations, and Society where he also served as chair. He has taught courses on strategic management, organizational behavior, design thinking, and international security and his published scholarship includes topics related to strategy, innovation, organizational performance, sustainability, and entrepreneurship. He also previously served as Don of Brooks College, where he was deeply engaged in student mentorship and leadership development. 

Beyond F&M, his career has included leadership roles in business and management consulting. Most recently, he has been at Deloitte, where he led initiatives to improve the U.S. Navy's accountability over more than $250 million in assets and helped deploy an AI-assisted platform that delivered sensitive geopolitical reporting to senior leaders. He was also the Chief of Staff for a strategy division at Deloitte supporting more than $120 million in annual revenue, helping guide financial planning and growth across teams developing AI and agentic AI solutions for defense, health, and human services clients.

Stinchfield has also served as an officer in the U.S. Army and CIA. He taught Strategic Leadership at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, PA, to senior military and intelligence officers. At the College, he conducted research related to emerging technologies and supervised student research related to improving the Army’s recruitment challenges. Throughout his career, he has studied and led at the intersection of strategy, innovation, and organizational performance, helping institutions adapt and succeed in times of rapid change. 

“I am excited to return to F&M. It’s a place that exemplifies how students grow intellectually and personally through hands-on learning. Our graduates use their world-class liberal arts education to create societal change,” said Stinchfield. "The Institute will significantly advance that tradition, and I'm honored to help bring its vision to life."

Stinchfield earned a Bachelor of Arts and MBA from the University of Pittsburgh and a Ph.D. in Organizational Studies from Southern Illinois University.

“I can think of few people better suited to direct the Mehlman Institute, particularly at this formative stage, than Bryan Stinchfield,” said Stephen Medvic, Honorable and Mrs. John C. Kunkel Professor of Government, and one of the faculty leads for the Leadership Fellows. 

“He's an innovative and strategic thinker with both a theoretical and practical understanding of organizations and the factors that make them successful. The range of his professional experience gives him invaluable insight into effective leadership, and his time as a faculty member at F&M means he's already been part of the College's rich history of preparing students to become leaders. Bryan’s appointment is a win for F&M, the Mehlman Institute, and most importantly, our students.”

Inaugural Leadership Fellows Cohort to Arrive This Fall

While Stinchfield will officially join Franklin & Marshall this summer, significant work has already been underway to prepare for the launch of the Mehlman Leadership and Performance Institute and its inaugural Leadership Fellows cohort.

This fall, 64 members of the Class of 2030 will arrive on campus as the College's first Leadership Fellows, participating in one of four cohort-based programs focused on Chesapeake Watershed Leadership, Creative Writing & Cultural Leadership, Future Founders Leadership, and Public Service Leadership. Each fellow will receive a four-year, $15,000 annual merit scholarship and participate in a distinctive leadership experience built around mentorship, experiential learning, community engagement, and collaboration with peers who share similar interests.

The fellowship model emerged from more than a year of planning by faculty and staff from across the College. Their work included developing the curriculum, experiential learning opportunities, community partnerships, and recruitment strategy for the inaugural class. Interest in the Leadership Fellows program exceeded expectations during the admissions cycle, helping attract talented students from across the country and reinforcing the Institute's potential as a meaningful differentiator for Franklin & Marshall.

Leading the inaugural cohorts are faculty and staff members Stephen Medvic, Dorothy Merritts, Matthew Thomas '10, Joaquin Villarreal, Robert "Bob" Walter, and Kerry Sherin Wright. Together, they have helped shape the vision and structure of the Fellows experience and will continue to guide its development as members of the Institute's inaugural Campus Advisory Committee.

The advisory committee will serve during the Institute's launch period, providing counsel and support to Stinchfield as he builds the program's foundation and prepares for future growth. Members of the committee also participated in the search process and had the opportunity to interview Stinchfield during his candidacy for the role.

“Bryan’s rich career in and out of the academy makes him uniquely qualified to bring the Mehlman Institute into being, and I know how much he values the cross-pollination of perspectives and practices that is at the heart of a liberal arts education,” said Kerry Sherin Wright, Director of the Writer’s House, Senior Teaching Professor of English, and a member of the Campus Advisory Board. “He understands that the strongest leaders are shaped not only by technical expertise, but also by the intellectual breadth and human understanding cultivated through the liberal arts. I’m excited to see him get started.”

"Bryan is joining at an exciting moment," Rich said. "Thanks to the work of faculty and staff across the College, the foundation has already been laid for an extraordinary first year. Together, we have an opportunity to build a distinctive program that helps students develop the skills, experiences, and mindset needed to lead in a rapidly changing world."

The Mehlman Institute will launch this fall with its inaugural Leadership Fellows cohort and is expected to become a defining feature of the F&M student experience, integrating mentorship, experiential learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and community engagement into a distinctive model of liberal arts leadership education.